Time for a Sprinkler Spruce-Up!

March 14, 2013

The City of Surprise, as a member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense program, reminds residents that spring is the perfect time to check their irrigation system, inspecting for leaks and setting the proper watering schedule for current weather conditions.

According to WaterSense, a broken or missing sprinkler head wastes as much as 25,000 gallons of water and more than $90 over a six-month irrigation season.  And an improperly programmed automatic irrigation system can waste as much as 30,000 gallons of water annually.

The EPA offers the following steps for sprucing up your sprinkler: Inspect, Connect, Direct, and Select.

  • Inspect. Check your system for clogged, broken or missing sprinkler heads. If you’re not the do-it-yourself type, go with a pro—look for an irrigation professional certified through a WaterSense labeled program.
  • Connect. Examine points where the sprinkler heads connect to pipes/hoses. If water pools in your landscape or you have large wet areas, you could have a leak in your system. A leak about as small as the tip of a ballpoint pen (or 1/32nd of an inch) can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month.
  • Direct. Are you watering the driveway, house, or sidewalk instead of your yard? Redirect sprinklers to apply water only to the landscape.
  • Select. An improperly scheduled irrigation controller can waste a lot of water and money. Update your system’s schedule with the seasons, or select a WaterSense labeled controller to take the guesswork out of scheduling.

For more tips, visit the WaterSense website.

Information for Surprise homeowners and residents can be found here:

Water Conservation in Surprise

City of Surprise is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners who offer conservation assistance to water customers. Contact your local water conservation office.