Water Conservation Updated
WATER CONSERVATION UPDATED
I learned about landscape irrigation through work with Cal Poly and Dr. Burt was the professor. Burt is the god of irrigation and the science behind that. During my time doing this type of work I won a lot of awards and my team took home 1st place in the commercial unlimited category 3 years in a row. I specialized in 5–500 acre business parks with 100’s acres of turf, a wide variety of plant materials and water features. We were way ahead in science that is still the standard today.
There are two components of systems. Lawn sprinkler systems and drip irrigation systems. A proper tune up will optimize your water usage and save 18% on your water usage.
LAWN SPRINKLERS
We are going to talk a lot about Distribution Uniformity or DU. This is the theory that if you can apply the water extremely evenly then you can use the percentage settings on your irrigation controller to manage your system. You should be able to back of the water until the turf stresses a bit, a tinge of brownish, then bump it up 5% and have perfect turf and be confident in knowing that you are being water wise.
When is the last time you have fed your lawn and plants? Do so these are investments. If it is too much then cut back on turf areas. The point of all of this is to optimize our environment.
LAWN SPRIKLER TUNE UP
- Run each station in your system and observe every distribution device. These devices are Rainbird’s, Rotors or Pop Up Sprinklers which rise at least three inches out of the soil. Devises that stay at grade are obsolete and there is incentive money to replace them. Are there any shrubs or branches in the way of sprinkler heads impeding the distribution of water? Is there any pooling of water anywhere in the system? Is there any water blowing out of the sprinkler heads. Are there any drip line emitters missing? (one missing emitter means a thousand gallons of lost water per month.
- You have to observe each and every sprinkler head. These are designed to simulate rain. Droplets of water should have DU for each of their determined areas. If there is more of a fog being produced than droplets then adjust the valve down until droplets form. Each sprinkler should be set at a 90 degree angle to the ground. In a perfect system each head will reach the head next to it, head to head coverage. The goal is perfect Distribution Uniformity.
DRIP SYSTEM TUNE UP
Drip Systems. Turn it on, walk the line. These systems when tuned up every year only last seven years. In a perfect system each plant will have at least to emitters. How big is each plant that is being supplied water? Each emitter is designed to deliver a specified amount of water per minute measured in gallons or gallons per minute, GPM. I suggest 2-1 GPM emitters for your smallest plants of say the One Gallon Plant Size variety. 2-2 GPM emitters on Three Gallon Plant Size Varieties and 3-4 GPM for trees. It is best that you have two different drip systems running in tandem so you can have a system that runs daily for small plants and your vegetable garden and the second for large shrubs and trees.
FREE COMMUNTY WORKSHOPS
May 28th – Mandatory Water Restrictions Made Easy
June 3rd – Drought Tolerant Landscaping
June 10th Landscape Water and How to Optimize It
This article will be updated several times over the next few weeks with dates of workshops and other resources.
Water Conservation will Save 10 – 20 Percent
All Healdsburg , Windsor and Sonoma County Real Estate that lies within the city limits is supplied with water that comes from the public water system. Over the next three weeks I will provide information on water conservation and how to save up to twenty percent on your water bill. I will start with the easiest way which is to check for ongoing leaks in your residential water supply system.
At the front of your home you will find a box in the ground that houses your water meter. It is often marked with a splash of blue paint for the meter reader to find it quicker.
Open the lid of the box taking care to not get a spider bite and you will see the water meter inside. There may be a cover over the face that needs to be raised. The face of the meter should look like the photo I have used in this article. There will be a small star or triangle shaped wheel there and it should not be moving. (If you are not sure what you are looking for turn on your sink very slow then take a look.) That little wheel is a very precise leak indictor wheel. Watch that wheel for sixty seconds and it should not move. If it remains static you should be OK.
If there is any movement then you do have a leak somewhere in the system. Start by checking your toilets. If they are suspect try turning it off at the wall by using the emergency water shut off located there. Go out and check the wheel again. Continue this process until all of the water using appliances in the home has been checked. Once those have been ruled out go outside and check all of the hose bibs and exterior of the home. If you still have movement on the meter then turn off the water where it enters the home at the exterior wall and check the meter. If there is still movement you may have a hidden leak in the main line to the home.
The folks that work at our municipal water departments are really helpful. If you have taken the steps fore mentioned you are on your way to a solution and your local water department will be eager to come out and assist.
Next week I will cover drip irrigation and how to optimize it. The following week I will cover lawn sprinkler systems.
When Bob Santucci worked in the construction trades he worked in landscape construction for three years. During that period he attained the State of California Water Auditor certification which makes him an expert in water conservation.