Outdoor Water Conservation

In Idaho, the greatest use of water occurs outdoors.  40% to 60% of all water consumed by homeowners is used on lawns and plants.

Tips for conserving water outdoors

• Don't water your landscape between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
• Adjust your sprinkler system to avoid watering non-landscape areas or the concrete.
• Determine weekly watering timing.
• Cycle your watering schedule by breaking up your total sprinkler run time into two or three installments, allowing an hour between to let the water soak in. The more clay in your soil means more frequent and shorter cycles for your lawn.
• Turn sprinklers off during and following a rainstorm.  Turn them on again when you see that your lawn and plants need watering.  Automatic rain sensors are available at your hardware store.
• Sweep sidewalks, driveways, parking areas or other paved surfaces with a broom instead of hosing them down.
• Wait until the weather warms up and the soil is completely dry -- deep into the root zone -- to turn on automatic sprinklers.
• Water manually when needed during early season months.
  Hand water brown spots to avoid watering the rest of your lawn.
• Trees, shrubs, and lawn areas all have different watering requirements.  Try to separate turf and plants into different irrigation zones.
• Adjust your watering schedule according to the season.
• Adjust your mowing height to at least 2.5 to 3 inches. 
• Longer grass generally means roots grow deeper and  need less water.
• Apply as little fertilizer as possible to reduce costly maintenance and overgrowth.
• Plunge a screwdriver into your lawn before watering.  The easier the screwdriver goes into the ground, the more water is in the soil, the less watering you need to do.

Remember, if we each save a little, we all save a lot.