Believe It or Not!
Evaporating Water Myths
-
Native Plants Use Less Water
Believe it or not, using native and adapted plants and flowers in your landscape is a beautiful way to save water! Imagine a lush and colorful oasis filled with drought-tolerant or native plants. Now that’s what we call a Texas SmartScape™. Once established, these landscapes thrive on less water, can take the Texas heat, and are easier to maintain.
- Reduce unused turf areas and expand landscape beds.
- Convert to drip irrigation and don't forget the mulch!
- Search for plants and design tips at Texas SmartScape™.
-
Only Water Up to Twice Per Week
Believe it or not you don't have to water every day to keep your lawn green! Up to twice a week is all you need. Especially in the summer. You want to water deep and infrequent to build strong roots that can withstand our Texas droughts. And if it rains, turn your sprinklers off for the week. This will help keep your lawn healthy and save thousands of gallons.
- Sign up for watering recommendations in your area.
- Check with your city or water provider if you have specific days to water.
- Do a monthly check of your sprinklers and make easy repairs.
-
It's Easy to Program Your Sprinklers
Believe it or not most sprinkler systems are easy to program! Get comfortable with start times, run times and program settings. If you have lost your controller manual, search the model on the internet. There are also many videos available to demonstrate scheduling. Learn the "cycle and soak" method. Many lawns have clay soil and water can't soak into the ground very quickly.
- Every time your sprinklers run it can use thousands of gallons. Know how much water your system uses so you are not surprised when you receive the bill.
- On days you water, set it to water before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. During the middle of the night or early morning hours are best.
- Break up your watering days with multiple start times (cycles), short run times (6 minutes for fixed sprays and 13 minutes with rotor sprays) and schedule them an hour apart (soak). This is the "cycle and soak" method.
- An example schedule to water a half-inch in a week with fixed sprays is to water on Wednesday and Saturday at 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. for 6 minutes each. This gets water to soak into the ground and not run off wasted. Learn more outdoor water saving tips.
-
A Dripping Faucet Wastes 3,000 Gallons
Believe it or not a dripping faucet wastes 3,000 gallons of water a year! Fixing even one leaky faucet can save a lot. Did you know a stuck toilet flapper can waste around 200 gallons per hour? Find more resources to help fix-a-leak.
- Old washers cause common faucet leaks and may be an easy fix. Or your faucet cartridge needs to be changed.
- Toilet leaks from worn-out flappers can cause major water loss and high bills. Learn how to replace a leaky toilet flapper.
- Leaks occur outdoors as well. Learn how to fix a leaky hose bib.
- Running sprinklers at night is recommended but issues are not easily seen. Be sure to inspect your sprinklers once a month and make sure everything is working correctly. Watch this DIY Sprinkler Repair presentation for an in-depth learning opportunity.