News Releases
San Diego County Water Authority
News Release: March 23, 2005 |
Contact:
John Liarakos
Office (858) 522-6703
Mobile (858) 761-2544 |
or
Donna Nenow
Office (858) 522-6707
Mobile (858) 414-8168 |
Water Authority urges early conservation planning as the days get longer
and warmer
Preparation now can save water throughout the summer
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Assignment Editors and Reporters:
Water Authority conservation experts are available for interviews
and live appearances on news broadcasts.
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Spring has arrived and daylight savings time is just ahead. Despite all the
rain this season, the San Diego County Water Authority reminds county residents
that we live in a desert where water conservation is a way of life. Now is the
time to begin water conservation efforts in preparation for more daylight and
warmer weather.
“Home irrigation systems should have been turned off for the last several
weeks because of all the rain,” said Bill Jacoby, Water Authority water
resources manager. “This is an ideal time to test your irrigation systems
for leaks, breaks and misaligned sprinkler heads to ensure your system operates
at peak efficiency when it’s time to turn it back on.”
Studies have shown that annually, almost 50 percent of San Diego County’s
residential water is used for landscaping. Over-watering can be as damaging
to vegetation as under-watering. The Water Authority recommends testing of soil
moisture to avoid watering landscape before it is needed.
“Check for moisture by taking a soil sample and rolling or squeezing
it into a ball in your hand. If it forms a ball, rub it with your thumb. If
it doesn’t crumble, it contains enough moisture to supply water to your
plants,” said Jacoby. “When it won’t form into a ball or crumbles,
it’s time to turn your irrigation system on again. Sandy soils are the
exception as they will always crumble, even when wet.”
The Water Authority also recommends homeowners replace the back-up battery
in their irrigation controller when they change their clocks to daylight savings
time. When batteries are depleted and electrical power is lost, systems may
revert to a default watering cycle resulting in over watering.
“If the batteries fail, irrigation systems will over-water, often without
the homeowner even being aware of it,” said Jacoby. “Just as changing
the batteries in your smoke detectors has become routine with the time change,
homeowners should install fresh batteries in their irrigation clocks.”
The Landscape Calculator on the Water Authority Web site at www.sdcwa.org assists
homeowners in determining watering requirements for their landscape. By answering
a few brief questions (ZIP code, type of landscape, type of watering method),
the calculator provides a monthly watering schedule specific to the different
areas of your yard for anywhere in San Diego County.
Homeowners can call (800) 986-4538 for a free landscape survey or (619) 570-1999
if their home is located in the city of San Diego. Homeowners also can call
the 800-number to determine if they qualify for a weather-based irrigation controller
voucher. City of San Diego customers must first have a landscape survey before
qualifying for the new controllers. Weather-based controllers automatically
adjust the amount and frequency of watering based on
weather conditions, reducing water costs by as much as 20 percent. The Water
Authority’s Smart Landscape program provides residential water customers
with a voucher incentive of $65.00 for each weather-based irrigation controller
that they install.
To qualify for a voucher, customers of participating San Diego County water
agencies must have a minimum of 2,000 square feet of irrigated landscaping,
an existing irrigation controller and an in-ground irrigation system. Once qualified,
customers redeem vouchers like a coupon at the time of purchase, with participating
on-line manufacturers, wholesale and retail suppliers and through landscape
contractors throughout San Diego County.
For more information on water conservation, visit the San Diego County Water
Authority Web site at www.sdcwa.org or contact your local water agency.
_____________________________________________________________________________
The San Diego County Water Authority is a public agency serving the San Diego
region as a wholesale supplier of water from the Colorado River and Northern
California. The Water Authority works through its 23 member agencies to provide
a safe, reliable water supply to support the region’s $142 billion economy
and the quality of life of 3 million residents.
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