Across most of the state, at least 50% of a homeowners annual water use is attributed to outdoor irrigation. A residential water bill can double if not triple in the summer and early fall months due to irrigation of turf and other plants. If you’re irrigating in the late evening or early morning, it’s hard to know if there are malfunctioning components to your system. Below is a list of best practices for maintaining your irrigation system and reducing water waste outdoors.
- Check your irrigation system at least seasonally to identify inefficiencies such as broken, misaligned, or clogged sprinkler heads and to check for leaks at the irrigation valves. Repair or replace immediately.
- Adjust sprinklers to water the landscape, not the concrete or asphalt. Irrigation overspray is a common water waste in the landscape.
- Water between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. to reduce evaporation and water loss from wind.
- Adjust your irrigation controller according to the seasons. Remember the controller should be turned off for the winter.
- Install a rain sensor so your system shuts down automatically with significant rainfall.
- Consider removing any unused turf and replace with San Francisco climate-appropriate plants that require little or no irrigation at all! For a list of over 2,000 plants and their water use ranking (low, moderate or high) check out the San Francisco Plant Water Use List.
For more information on water-wise plantings, free landscape evaluations, local gardening classes, and recommendations for making your landscape more efficient, visit our landscape page.
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