Although water is plentiful in the great State of Texas, this isn’t true everywhere. Already many states are conserving by various methods, ranging from specified days and times to limiting planting areas. Armed with a vision of likely water scarcity in a state whose population is expected to double in the next 50 years, the responsible manager will start now to proactively re-tune his irrigation strategies.

Watering lawns and landscape plants can account for up to 50 percent of a properties average total water use during Houston's hot dry months. With a little common sense, however, you can easily find ways to conserve while still providing your lawn with the water it needs. Simply knowing when your lawn and plants are thirsty can save unnecessary watering. By installing a rain gauge, you will know how much water your lawn is actually receiving. Monthly evaluation and maintenance of your irrigation system will also avoid waste of water through broken or misdirected heads that may be watering sidewalks and driveways rather than lawns and landscape plants.

In addition, it’s important not to mix the types of Sprinkler Heads within the same zone. Spray-head type sprinklers, used for shrub areas and sometimes for turf, have higher application rates than rotor type sprinklers. If two types of sprinklers are mixed in the same zone, the area where the sprays are located is usually over-watered while the rotor portion of the zone is watered correctly. To help ensure proper water application, place sprayheads for shrubs and rotors for turf in separate watering zones.

Installing an Automatic Rain Shut-Off Device will save a significant amount of water in a very short period of time by overriding your automatic irrigation controller. The device tells your system when the rain has provided sufficient water to your lawn, turning the system off when it’s not needed. No matter which type you use, the temporary interruption of your system doesn’t affect the timing you’ve programmed. Even if your system is fairly new, there have been technological advances recently in sprayheads and control devices that may save significant amounts of water.

A tried and true method for evaluating your system is a water audit by a licensed irrigation professional. The Audit can assess changes that can be made to allow the system to be more efficient. The audit is diagnostic, focusing on head placement, nozzle selection and overall coverage. An audit takes into account the area weather conditions, soil conditions, plant types. Actual measurements are taken to determine the overall performance of your system. The result of a professional water audit to the client is a more efficient, economical system in step with today's technology and irrigation standards. The goal of an irrigation system is to place the amount of water needed on your lawn and plants to help them grow and thrive; any more or less water is waste. This is something we can no longer afford.