Water Cost Blues

 

Until now, water has been fairly abundant and reasonably priced, but as the demand increases, especially in heavily populated areas (OAHU), cheap water will become a thing of the past.

Outdoors

• Use the manual option to turn on your irrigation controller and then check for leaks and other water-wasting problems.
• Talk with landscape professionals who are familiar with water-efficient irrigation technology and practices.
• Check all outdoor hoses, connectors, and spigots regularly for leaks.
• Turn off your automatic watering systems when it rains or install a rain sensor to do this automatically.
• Plan, design and install an efficient irrigation system – and adjust your watering schedule at least four times a year.
• Make sure your controller lets you run stations on different schedules; some drought tolerant adapted plants need to be watered only once or twice a month!

Watering Plants

• Water small plants to a depth of 1 foot, larger shrubs to 2 feet, and trees to 3 feet. Use a soil probe or a very long screwdriver to test how deep the water has sunk in.
• Water deeply and less frequently to encourage deep, strong root systems that can tolerate longer periods between watering.
• Collect water from your roof by installing gutters and downspouts, and keep them free of debris.
• Consider a “smart” controller that monitors local weather conditions and automatically adjusts when to irrigate your landscape – no humans required.

 

Watering Turf

• Water your lawn early morning to keep evaporation at a minimum.
• Adjust sprinkler heads so they don’t spray walls, driveways or sidewalks.
• Adjust your mower so that grass isn’t cut too short; longer grass uses less water.
• Spray your lawns with only as much water as the ground can absorb; areas with hard compacted soils may need to be watered in increments.
• Don’t use a sprinkler meant to water a 15-foot area when an 8-foot sprinkler will do.
• Calculate your family’s water use by checking your water meter or using your water bill to determine how many gallons are being used.
• Set a goal to reduce your family’s indoor and outdoor water use – a good target is to use less than 100 gallons per person per day.
• Lead in practicing a water-wise lifestyle and your friends and family are likely to be influenced to do the same.
• Reduce showering time to save both water and energy. A 10-minute shower uses approximately 50 gallons of hot water. Shoot for a five-minute shower.
• Wash full loads of clothes and use more cold water to save both water and energy. Heating water uses a large amount of energy.
• Water and energy are interconnected: It takes energy to transport and treat water, so by conserving water you are also conserving energy! Water is used to generate electricity, so by conserving energy you are also conserving water!

Many of us lead busy lives and would like to accomplish all of these things above. If you would like to consider a water audit of your existing systems please do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with us.