Join host John Smith on blogtalkradio as he talks with Donna DiFrancesco from the City of Mesa about the development of the Water-Use It Wisely campaign in Arizona.
Up to 70% of your household water use is outdoors. This is why it’s so important to ensure you are watering efficiently. Raise your hand if you adjust your irrigation controller four times a year with the seasons. More than likely, you did not raise your hand. Either way, don’t worry there is a controller that is so smart that it adjusts automatically according to everything going on in your yard! This technology reduces the overall amount of water used up to 50% and reduces your water bill, saving you money, and helping to conserve a precious resource.
“Smart” VS “Not-so-smart”
Rain Bird ESP-SMT4 Smart Controller
The “not-so-smart” or “traditional” irrigation controllers required us to determine how much to water and when. With the “smart” irrigation controllers you simply program in the conditions for each zone. The programming information includes:
Another feature is the on-site weather sensor that communicates current weather data on a regular basis back to the controller. The weather station measures rain fall and temperature and compares this information with the programmed historical data based upon the zip code entered. As weather conditions change, the irrigation schedule adjusts accordingly on a daily basis.
Programming
When the controller is programmed correctly, you can expect to maintain a healthy landscape while consuming up to 50% less water than “traditional” time-based controllers. One bonus feature of some “smart” controllers is that you can program the controller anywhere you want. The old days of standing out in summer heat and trying to program your controller while having difficulty reading the display are over. All you have to do is install a 9-Volt alkaline battery in the controller and program it from your couch inside your air conditioned home. The pre-programmed information is saved in non-volatile memory for retrieval at a future date.
Rebate programs
Summer is coming soon and why not start the season with a “smart” controller to do all the work for you. Save water and save money! Check with your water provider, as some offer controller rebates and may be able to assist with the cost of the unit such as the cities of Scottsdale, Peoria, and Chandler. Also in the spring, Salt River Project (SRP) has a Water Conservation Expo and offers a “smart” irrigation controller discount. For more information on “smart” irrigation controllers, visit SRP’s Facts and Questions page. Remember there are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you.
Salt River Project (SRP) is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners who offer conservation assistance to water customers. Contact your local water conservation office.
Heat tolerant trees like the Palo Verde often have small leaves, light green or grey leaves, are native to arid climates, and can tolerate intermittent watering
Do you have questions about planting a tree or caring for existing trees in your yard? Joanne Toms, Water Conservation Specialist, from the City of Glendale is here with some helpful Q&A. Just in time for Arbor Day, which is today (Friday, April 27th)!
What type of tree should I plant?
Pick a tree that can survive and thrive in our desert region. Heat tolerant trees often have the following characteristics: small leaves, light green or grey leaves, are native to arid climates, and can tolerate intermittent watering. For a copy of the popular Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert, which features more than 30 desert-adapted trees, contact your local water conservation office.
Where should I water my tree?
Nature knows best. Imitate nature by watering your tree at the drip line (at the outer reaches of the canopy of the tree). This is also where a tree naturally sheds rainwater. The most active water absorption area is at the drip line and beyond, not adjacent to the trunk.
How much should I water my tree?
You need to fill up your tree’s underground water storage tank – the “root zone,” or the soil surrounding the tree’s roots. Be sure to water the tree’s root zone which is 24 to 36 inches deep. A good way to test how deep you have watered is to use a soil probe or a long screwdriver. Just be sure to know where your irrigation and utility lines are located, first. Several hours after watering, push the probe into the soil. It will slide easily through wet soil but will be difficult or impossible to push through dry soil. Check out this handy brochure on how to best water your trees.
Consider different watering depths for different types of plants.
New Tree Trail Dedication April 28
Just in time for Arbor Day, Glendale’s Conservation & Sustainable Living program has opened its new addition to the Glendale Xeriscape Garden, the Tree Trail. This project, funded by a grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, features a renovated 10,000-square foot area of the garden, with a focus on small- and medium-sized trees better suited for most residential landscapes where space may be tight. Residents are encouraged to come and enjoy the new Tree Trail and the surrounding Xeriscape Demonstration Garden. The new Tree Trail is located at the city’s Main Library, 5959 W. Brown St., and open sun up to sun down every day.
The Glendale Tree Trail showcases small to medium sized trees that would be suitable for residential properties. Check out the Grand Opening Celebration this Saturday, April 28 at 9 am!
Glendale is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners who offer water-saving landscape assistance to water customers.
The combination of aging irrigation systems and decades-old traditional overhead spray nozzles can result in large and unsightly brown spots in grass areas. Up until recently, traditional spray nozzles were the only option to irrigate grass areas between 5’-15’.
What is a traditional spray nozzle, you ask? In a nutshell, it’s any nozzle that delivers small water droplets quickly and in a fan shaped pattern. Due to the high flow of water coming out of traditional spray nozzles (almost 2 gallons per minute, 15’ half-circle), many aging sprinkler pipes get mineral buildup and can no longer provide the needed pressure to deliver water evenly between the originally designed head-to-head spacing. Most homeowners try to solve this issue by simply increasing run-times until the brown spots disappear. However, while this solution may improve the look of the site, it results in a tremendous increase in water consumption, with some areas getting a lot more water than needed, which is both costly and environmentally unfriendly.
Homeowners can take a cue from landscape professionals, who have learned to rely on multi-stream rotating sprinkler heads, such as the Hunter MP Rotator. The MP Rotator features a unique, multi-trajectory rotating stream delivery system that achieves water-conserving results. Rather than simply “spray” water onto landscapes, MP Rotators deliver multiple streams of water at a slow, steady rate. The reduction in flow will boost system pressure allowing the MP Rotator’s multi-stream “moving fingers” to achieve previously compromised head-to-head spacing.
This is what makes MP’s perfect for revitalizing older systems—the retrofit can solve both low pressure and poor coverage problems. The MP Rotator can be installed onto any conventional spray head body transforming them into high uniformity, low precipitation rate sprinklers. But be careful. Because the MP Rotator has a much lower flow rate (1/2 gallon per minute, 15’ half-circle) compared to a traditional spray nozzle, a complete removal of ALL traditional spray nozzles on a single valve (station) must be done. By mixing MP Rotators & traditional spray nozzles on a single valve (station), an already inefficient system will only become worse.
Another added benefit is the MP Rotator’s compatibility with Arizona soil absorption rates. Most Arizona landscapes consist of clay soil profiles capable of absorbing only a ½” or less of water per hour. In Water – Use It Wisely’s 100+ Ways to Conserve, # 18 states If water runs off your lawn easily, split your watering time into shorter periods to allow for better absorption. That’s because most traditional spray nozzles deliver water at flows 100-200% faster than what Arizona soils can absorb. Due to the MP Rotators “Slow-the-Flow” nature, it delivers water to your landscape at a much slower rate therefore minimizing or eliminating unnecessary run-off. This slower application rate allows water to gently soak into the soil, and achieves an even distribution throughout the area being irrigated. This increased efficiency results in 30% less water use when compared to traditional sprays, and significantly reduces wasteful runoff.
MP Rotators are also a great choice for new systems, as they provide immense range, flexibility and provide better system efficiency.
From time to time, WUIW features guest bloggers who write about water conservation and education. Danny Motylewski from Hunter Industries is our guest blogger this week. Hunter Industries is committed to research and development efforts centered on innovative solutions that save water, and they always have been. Moving forward, their focus towards water and energy conservation will continue every day.
MP Rotator 3 (Credit: www.hunterindustries.com)
Everyone enjoys a patch of lawn. It’s cool to walk on barefoot, a comfortable spot for adults to gather and relax outdoors, and children and pets enjoy playing on it. But lawns do use a lot of water, and with up to 70% of your water use outdoors, the ideal lawn is one that will grow in our desert environment using water as efficiently as possible. One of the easiest and smartest things a homeowner can do is to replace their old-fashioned sprinkler spray nozzles with new water efficient nozzles.
Conventional “fixed spray heads” are the small heads that spray a fan-shaped pattern of water, somewhat like a shower nozzle spray. They apply water at a relatively fast rate which may not allow the water to soak into our tight clay soils and may contribute to runoff. Fixed spray nozzles are often prone to ‘misting’, an extremely fine spray that can evaporate quickly or drift easily in wind.
Replacing old spray heads with new, more efficient models can reduce your water use and save you money. This is easier than you might think. In most cases it’s not necessary to replace the entire sprinkler housing, just the spray nozzle. If you can unscrew the cap on a bottle of water and then put it back on, you can replace a sprinkler nozzle. In just a few minutes you can give your irrigation system a tune up, conserve water, reduce puddling and water running into the street, and improve the health of your grass.
Rainbird Rotary Nozzles (Credit: www.rainbird.com)
New sprinkler products on the market can save as much as 42 percent on the amount of water applied to your lawn. And, because the water is applied more slowly, and in droplets instead of mist, it soaks deeper into the soil and with less chance for runoff. They also deliver water more evenly over their entire coverage area, a vast improvement over conventional sprinklers.
Click on the ‘Lawn Stars’ listed below to learn more about various types of spray heads and even help for unexpected geysers. These products are available from a variety of manufacturers.
It’s easy to change a spray nozzle. Read on for simple tips.
Replacing a sprinkler spray nozzle:
Spray Head Pull-Up Tool (Credit: www.rainbird.com)
That’s it. In just a few minutes you’ve updated your sprinkler system, saved water, reduced runoff and made your lawn just a little bit healthier.
For more landscape and irrigation tips, please visit www.chandleraz.gov/water
Chandler is offering landscape watering workshops throughout the month of April. Topics include yard watering & timer programming, sprinkler design and how to maximize your irrigation. Find detailed descriptions and programs offered by Chandler and other Water – Use It Wisely partners at the Water – Use It Wisely calendar on our home page.
Before the heat sets in, don’t forget Water Saving Tip #41: Remember to check your sprinkler system valves periodically for leaks and keep the heads in good shape.
Thankfully, the Town of Queen Creek has a class that will help you identify water wasting problems in your drip irrigation system! Join them Saturday, April 14th, 9am – 12pm at the Queen Creek Library/Zane Grey Room, 21802 S. Ellsworth Rd., Queen Creek.
This workshop is free to Queen Creek residents, but you must register. Email connie.speelman@queencreek.org or call the water conservation office at 480-358-3455.
The Town of Queen Creek is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners, many of whom offer water-wise workshops. Check out all of the partner programs at the Water – Use It Wisely calendar on our home page.
It’s Springtime in Arizona! Salt River Project (SRP) is hosting a Free Water Conservation Expo at which you can learn about saving water, money and how to irrigate your lawn and landscape correctly for the upcoming warmer months.
Visit the expo and get a 4-station smart irrigation controller (expandable to 13 stations) for $50 plus tax (retail value $290). Three-station expansion modules are available for $17.55 plus tax (retail value $55). The discount is limited to the first 500 SRP water shareholders or power customers who register and attend the expo. The first 500 customers who attend a controller installation class at the expo will receive a water-saving showerhead ($39 value). Limit one controller and showerhead per household.
Date and time of expo: Saturday, March 3, 2012, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: SRP’s PERA Club, 1 E. Continental Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281
View map of PERA or get driving directions to PERA
If you plan to attend the expo or classes, please register using our online form, or call SRP at (602) 236-3333.
See you there!
SRP is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners, many of whom offer water-wise programs and opportunities. Check out all of the partner programs at the Water – Use It Wisely calendar on our home page.
Ah, spring in the Desert Southwest… beautiful, sunny, seventy-five degree days. It’s perfect weather for gardening, but it’s also an especially good time for some irrigation system maintenance. Irrigation problems are not always apparent between the cool nighttime temperatures, the periodic cloudy days and even the occasional sprinkle of rain. So don’t wait until the heat sets in. Check out our Irrigation Maintenance Checklist to get your system in tip-top shape just in time for summer’s sizzle.
After making any drip irrigation repairs, flush out the line for about a minute. Do this by removing the end cap at the end of the poly line. Yours might have a figure 8 end fitting that kinks the poly line - just slip it off and unkink.
Water – Use It Wisely offers all kinds of landscape advice to help you save water and money. Here’s just a sample:
The City of Mesa is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners who offer assistance with saving water. Many even offer rebates on toilets, desert landscaping and more.
Here’s a great water saving tip: adjust your irrigation timer when the seasons change. Connie Speelman, from the Town of Queen Creek, one of our Arizona Regional Campaign Partners, explains to us that with cooler weather and lower evaporation rates, dialing your timer back is a good idea.
For more information, watch her interview on “Your Life A to Z” on local Channel 3:
Join us for another interview on “Your Life A to Z” on Arizona’s local Channel 3 to learn more about the Paradise Valley Xeriscape Demonstration Garden. Jake Lenderking and Sally Ceccerelli-Wolf from our Regional Partner, Arizona American Water, tell us about how a demonstration garden can help someone who is planting in their yard choose low water-use plants to beautify their landscaping. The demonstration garden has all sorts of different native plants that will grow and blossom with the seasons, and people can come take a look and get an idea of what their yard will look like if they chose a specific plant.
Furthermore, since up to 70% of your water use is outdoors, choosing a xeriscape landscape for your yard can help you conserve water and save on your utility bills.
Watch the interview on “Your Life A to Z” on local Channel 3 here:
