August 17 2022
With the summer heat, you might find yourself using your sprinklers more often. As part of on-going efforts to reduce the effects of polluted stormwater runoff, which is the water you see flowing down the street when it rains, there is one important reminder:
If you have automatic sprinklers for your lawn, turn them off before leaving for an extended period of time. Most established lawns are happy with one inch of water per week, including rainfall.
If you don’t have automatic sprinklers, there are still a few other tips for outdoor watering without waste:
- Adjust sprinklers so that they don’t water paved surfaces.
- Don’t water in the heat of the day. Watering early in the morning or in the evening minimizes the water lost to evaporation.
- Consider using slow-watering techniques such as drip irrigation or soaker hoses. They are considerably more effective than sprinklers at getting the water where it’s supposed to be.