Now more than ever it’s important to keep an eye on your water bill; you don’t want to overspend and you don’t want to waste water in the midst of “extreme drought.” If you think your water bill has gone up, or you notice that you’re using more water than you think you should be, check the following.
BROKEN OR DAMAGED SPRINKLER HEADS
While your sprinklers are running, check for any broken or damaged sprinkler heads. Sprinkler heads can get damaged from mowing and weed eating equipment. They often accidentally get kicked or stepped on too. This can lead to cracked heads or misdirected spray. If you noticed certain sprinkler heads look damaged or are spraying sidewalks and sides of buildings, flag them for inspection by your landscape team.
WATERING AT THE WRONG TIME OF DAY
If your sprinklers are running during hotter parts of the day you may be losing water to evaporation. Your plants won’t benefit from that afternoon watering as much as they would from an early morning one. This means you’ll end up having to water more often. Switch your sprinkler timer to early mornings, between 5 and 7 am, and you’ll use less water while keeping your grass, plants, and trees happier.
LEAKS YOU CAN’T SEE
An increase in water usage beyond what you’d normally expect is cause for concern. If you don’t know an obvious reason for a giant leap in gallons used per month, an underground leak could be to blame. Look for areas of standing water or soft ground where there shouldn’t be any. Check your sprinkler valves and make sure they aren’t leaking around the edges.
OUTDATED IRRIGATION CONTROLLERS
We once had a neighbor whose irrigation zones still had to be switched with a hand tool. He’d turn one section on and forget about it until a neighbor, sometimes one of us, went over and reminded him. A programmable sprinkler controller that lets you adjust zones individually is a must. Today many smart controllers connect right to your wi-fi and can adjust for hyper-local seasonal weather like monsoonal rains and extreme heat.
Need help with your Grand Junction or Western Colorado irrigation? Contact us! Our team of specialists is ready to help with all of your commercial and residential landscaping needs from Grand Junction to Moab, UT.