Properly maintained irrigation systems use water efficiently and reduce water waste. Use these tips for more effective watering:1. Clear Your Head(s). Sprinkler heads and nozzles may need to be cleared of debris or replaced if they’re worn out or broken. Look for improved designs in spray heads and nozzles that apply less water more uniformly allowing water to infiltrate instead of simply evaporate or run off. Minimize evaporation, wind, inefficient irrigation methods and systems that create runoff with good systems and good timing.
2. Check the time. Install a fresh set of batteries in the timer and check the programming schedule to water in the cooler, still times of day. Rain or moisture sensors can further reduce over or ineffective watering. According the EPA, ” a home with an automatic irrigation system that isn’t properly programmed or maintained can waste as much as 30,000 gallons of water annually.”
3. Connect well: Check for leaks where heads connect to hoses or pipes. Pooling areas indicate leaks that need immediate repair. A leak about as small as the tip of a ballpoint pen (or 1/32nd of an inch) can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month.
4. And Remember – have the testable backflow prevention device on the lawn system checked once every five years by a certified plumber. It protects the municipal water supply that serves not only the lawn, but also quenches the thirst of our residents.