Prevent Water Waste

Most water waste is caused by improper or inefficient landscape irrigation. By taking a few simple steps, you can prevent water waste in your yard.

Over-watering

Our desert soil cannot absorb large amounts of water at one time. The best method to water your landscape is known as "cycle and soak." This gives your yard several shorter drinks of water and allows maximum water absorption so the water stays in your yard and doesn't down the street.

Aerating your lawn at least twice a year also allows water to soak more completely into the root zone.

Over-spray

Sprinklers can easily become turned. You can spot those problem spots by briefly turning on your system after each mowing. Most sprinkler heads can be fixed by turning the sprinkler with a firm grip of your hand or pliers.

Another cause of over spray is improper nozzles for the area. Sprinkler nozzles come in many designs. You may be using a nozzle that sprays out 12 feet when one that sprays out 8 feet would cover the lawn area.

Obstructions

Sprinklers that shoot onto a fence, tree or something other than the grass could be the result of an inappropriate design for the area or heads that don't reach up high enough. Sometimes the solution is as simple as installing a nozzle with a different reach, angle or spray pattern.

Leaks

One indication of a leak is an area of your landscape that's more green or wet than other areas. However, many times a leak is a slow, but consistent trickle of water. These types of leaks usually require digging into the area to learn where the leak is located. You could have a broken sprinkler head or even a break in the irrigation line. You may want to consult a professional.

Another problem in the system could be a stuck valve. Normally, an irrigation valve opens when the system turns on and closes when the run cycle is complete. When the valve sticks, the system can run endlessly. To stop this problem, immediately turn off the system at your backflow device and then repair the faulty valve.

Design

Your landscape design also can impact water waste. Narrow strips of lawn less than 10 feet by 10 feet, grass in curving areas, and grass on slopes are difficult to water efficiently. A possible solution is to remove turf from the edges of slopes and replace it with shrubs or groundcover to buffer run-off.

Replacing your lawn with water-smart landscaping or installing subsurface irrigation are two other solutions to water-wasting landscape designs.

Curbing Water Waste

The Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) offers a Curbing Water Waste class throughout the year to help customers identify and correct various water-waste issues on their property. The class is free to all SNWA customers.