Reduce Your Water Usage

If ever there was a reason to change up your landscape strategy, a once-in-a-millennia mega-drought ought to be it. As the Western United States remains in the grips of punishingly dry temperatures and increasing water restrictions, you can stay above the fray with some simple tweaks. Here’s what our experts recommend:

Look at the Big Picture to Identify Your Priorities

Before getting into specific drought-survival tactics, consider your overall landscape and think about:

1. Focal Areas - What do customers or tenants see first when they enter your property? What areas have the most traffic?
    
2. Trees - These are some of your most expensive assets. Make preserving heritage trees a top priority.
    
3. Budget - Assess how much you can invest in water-saving updates to irrigation and take into account the resulting water cost savings.

Conduct an Irrigation Evaluation

Updating and/or modifying your irrigation can save considerable water. If possible, reduce run times (particularly in less visible areas) and make sure your irrigation system is in good repair. If budget allows, even minor improvements can make a big difference. Below are our top recommendations; your landscape partner can help nail down what would make the biggest impact for your circumstances.

• Smart Controllers
• Low-Volume/Drip Irrigation
• High-Efficiency Nozzles
• Flow Sensors and Master Valves

Learn more about the various types of irrigation and system components here.

Go for Drought-Aware Landscape Design

You can’t change the water needs of your existing landscape. But you can change the landscape itself. If you’ve got swaths of high water-use landscape, consider these options to reduce consumption:

• Turf Reduction/Removal (check with your water authority for rebate programs)
• Reduced Plant Density
• Removal of Ground Cover/Plants in Tree Root Zones
• Perennial Plants to Reduce/Eliminate Need for Seasonal Plantings
• Mulch in Tree Wells and Selected Areas

Learn more about smart alternatives here, or see how one client was able to save 765,000 gallons of water annually with smart swaps.

Use Water-Wise Horticultural Techniques

Updating and/or modifying your irrigation can save considerable water. If possible, reduce run times (particularly in less visible areas) and make sure your irrigation system is in good repair. The following can also help:

• Mowing Turf Higher, as Denser Grass Prevents Evaporation of Water from the Soil
• Maintain Mulch at a Depth of 2-3 Inches to Better Maintain Soil Moisture
• Group Plants with Similar Water Needs for More Efficient Irrigation (a Technique Called Hydrozoning)
• Aerate Lawns, Which Can Increase Water Absorption
• Reduce Shrub Shearing to Help Eliminate New, Water-Thirsty Growth
• Deep Root Watering For Trees
• Add Temporary Drip Lines Around Trees

Learn More about Smart Water Management

When you conserve water, you’re benefitting your community and the environment at large. But you don’t have to go it alone. Our water management experts are here to help. Get individualized support when you schedule a free consultation.