By Jennifer Walker, Water Resources Coordinator
There’s no better time to reevaluate your outdoor water use than during Smart Irrigation Month. As July draws to a close, temperatures continue to rise, but your water use doesn’t need to follow suit. In Texas, outdoor water use, particularly lawn watering, accounts for almost one third of annual residential water use, and can be much higher during hot, dry summers. Instead of following this trend, let’s learn from the drought and continue to limit outdoor watering. This commonsense water conservation strategy can result in significant water savings.
What are Texas cities doing?
Cities across Texas are looking for ways to reduce their water use. Many communities have implemented ordinances that restrict the number of days that water may be applied to outdoor landscapes. Currently, Dallas, Austin, and The Woodlands limit lawn watering to no more than two times per week regardless of whether their communities are in drought or not.
Some communities are taking proactive steps to further decrease the amount of water that is applied to outdoor landscapes, therefore, increasing the overall efficiency of their communities. Austin is considering implementing year-round no more than one time per week outdoor watering, and Corpus Christi is looking at beefing up their Drought Contingency Plan to include a more aggressive implementation of one-time per week watering.
Why one time per week watering?
According to reference material provided to the Corpus Christi City Council, “many citizens realized that one-day-per-week irrigation is more than enough to keep landscapes healthy in South Texas.” Texas has been in drought for many years, and communities have learned that landscapes can survive on less water than they have been normally accustomed to applying to their lawns.
In a June 29 memo, Austin’s City Manager urged the City Council to consider adopting one time per week watering permanently. The memo stated that citizens have adapted to one day per week watering, which has yielded the largest water savings of all the programs the city has implemented to date. It also prepares the city for long-term drought and even a permanent shift in climate.
Why focus on outdoor watering?
Homeowners have a tendency to overwater landscapes by as much as two to three times the amount needed. Reducing outdoor watering is the most effective way to reduce water use. Water conservation saves money by allowing a utility to serve more people without having to procure additional expensive water supplies.
Conservation is also essential to ensuring that there are adequate water supplies for fish and wildlife habitat. Texas is a state full of rivers, creeks, and streams. These are the home of countless creatures and they need water to survive.
What can you do?
Let’s do our part to ensure that we have water for people and the environment. Find out what the watering schedule is in your community. Advocate for water savings through the implementation of outdoor watering restrictions that limit watering to no more than one or two times per week. Water is too precious – and expensive – to use in an inefficient manner.
Want more info?
The Sierra Club and National Wildlife Federation recently released a report, Water Conservation by the Yard, which details the potential water savings from adopting a year round, no more than twice per week outdoor irrigation program. The report also includes a model ordinance that can be used to advocate in your own community.