How to be Efficient and Effective with Your Outdoor Watering
By AMWUA Staff
As our temperatures rise, so does outdoor water use in the Valley. We know the key to maintaining your landscape's health and beauty is watering correctly, but that can be a bit of a challenge in the desert and with escalating heat. It comes down to being efficient and effective with your water use, which is an easy way to save water and money while ensuring your plants get the right amount of water they need to thrive.
While we often think that more water is needed, especially with rising temperatures and even with a desert-adapted landscape, that is not the case. So what should you do to make sure everything is being watered appropriately and efficiently?
Inspect your irrigation system
Before the weather intensifies for the summer months, make sure you make time for an irrigation check-up. It's as simple as turning on your irrigation system and walking around to inspect that everything is working correctly. It will also help you identify any leaks that need to be fixed before too much water waste happens. AMWUA's Smart Home Water Guide can help. There is additional information on irrigation system maintenance available on the Landscaping with Style website.
Tailor your watering schedule for landscapes in the Sonoran Desert
Nearly all landscape plants need regular irrigation to get them established, and some will need periodic irrigation to keep them healthy. This is due to our climate and sunshine that speed water evaporation from the soil and plants. Once established, desert-adapted plants can survive on rainfall alone with occasional supplemental watering during extended dry periods.
Sign up for watering text alerts
Simply text WHENTOWATER to 33222 and receive a text message on the first of each month with a link to that month's unique watering schedule. This guide reminds you to adjust your settings as the weather changes and gives you precise watering instructions for all your plants. This easily accessible information can help you keep your yard looking its best. Plus, this is one more way to help you save water and money.
Utilize the Landscape Watering by the Numbers Guide
For more information on outdoor watering, check out this interactive watering guide created specifically for the Phoenix metro area and its unique conditions. This watering guide walks you through how much and how often to water and shows you how to set your irrigation timer, troubleshoot your system, and many other tips about outdoor watering.
Evaluate your water use
The amount of water we use every day may surprise you. And how do you know if you are using the right amount of water at home? The AMWUA Water Use Calculator is here to help. Many things impact your household's unique water use, and this new tool offers additional insight into how you use it throughout your home and in your yard by answering a few simple questions. Based on the answers you select, the calculator estimates how much water you need for optimal monthly water usage based on the specific information you provided.
Being wise with our outdoor water use is essential, regardless of the time of year. A water-efficient landscape will save you time, water, and money. Plus, when we are efficient with our water, we invest in our future. And being responsible with the water we have is up to each of us.
Additional water conservation information, resources, and tips can be found HERE.
To print or save this week's blog, a PDF version is available HERE
For over 50 years, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association has helped protect our member cities' ability to provide assured, safe, and sustainable water supplies to their communities. For more information, visit www.amwua.org.
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