Simple Steps to Saving Water in the Landscape

As part of Smart Irrigation Month, WaterSense provides the following tips to help landscape managers and homeowners maintain a beautiful landscape without wasting water.

1. Water When Needed, As Needed
It's estimated that as much as 50 percent of landscape water use goes to waste due to evaporation, wind, or overwatering. If you have an in-ground irrigation system, set your timer to water in the early morning when winds are calm and temperatures are cool. If you don't have an automated system, remember to set your alarm! As you water, make sure to saturate the root zones and then let the soil dry. Watering too much and too frequently can result in shallow roots and disease.

2. Give Your Watering Methods a Tune up
Whether you water with a conventional hose-fed sprinkler or an automatic system, make sure you position your sprinklers or sprinkler heads properly. Are you watering more pavement than lawn? Keep in mind that different areas of your landscape have different water needs. Watering with a hose-fed sprinkler will generally use less water than an automatic irrigation system. With an automatic system, you may be able to schedule individual "zones." To avoid unnecessary water loss, inspect your system monthly. Check for leaks, broken or clogged heads, or hire a professional to do a system check for you.

3. Do More With Less
Consider using "micro-irrigation" for watering plant and garden beds, as well as trees and shrubs. Micro-irrigation includes drip, micro-spray jets, micro-sprinklers, or bubbler-style watering systems. Drip irrigation systems use 20 to 50 percent less water than conventional in-ground sprinkler systems by delivering a low volume of water slowly. This minimizes evaporation, runoff, and overspray.

4. Hire an Expert
If you have an in-ground irrigation system or are planning to install one, hire a certified professional to install and maintain your system for optimal water efficiency. Ask if your irrigation professional is a WaterSense partner. These professionals—certified through a WaterSense labeled program—can help you save water, time, and money. WaterSense currently labels certification programs for irrigation system auditors, designers, and installation and maintenance professionals. For a listing of WaterSense irrigation partners in your area, visit the directory of WaterSense irrigation partners.

5. Look for "Smart" Technologies
Soil moisture sensors and weather-based controllers take the guesswork out of water-efficient irrigation. These devices automatically adjust your irrigation schedule based on soil moisture or weather conditions so your landscape gets only what it needs when it needs it. This can save a household up to 11,000 gallons of water annually, or more than 30 gallons per day! For a more inexpensive option, install a rain shutoff switch. Required by law in many states, this sensor will turn off your sprinklers in rainy weather and can be retrofitted to almost any system.

6. Reduce Demand
Use native plants in your landscape—they require less care and water than ornamental varieties. Using native plants that are adapted to your climate and require less watering can reduce outdoor water use by 20 to 50 percent. Additionally, using mulch around shrubs and garden plants can reduce evaporation from the soil surface and cut down on weed growth. To improve water efficiency in your lawn, aerate the lawn periodically to encourage the movement of water to the root zone. Also, raise your lawn mower cutting height—longer grass blades help shade each other, cut down on evaporation, and inhibit weed growth.

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