New Homes & Lifestyles

Keep Your Landscape from Soaking You

The squeaky wheel may get the grease, but it's the steady drip that gets results. Water - Use It Wisely® has several tools on its website to help Arizona residents properly design their drip irrigation systems to save time and money. Visit the outdoor water use section at www.wateruseitwisely.com. Both the interactive "Outdoor Water Use Guide" and the "Landscape Watering Guide" provide valuable tips for designing an efficient system that will promote overall plant health and a thriving landscape.

When it comes to sensible landscape watering, there are three important things to keep in mind:

- Know how much water your plants need.
- Know how much water each part of your watering system applies.
- Match your system's output to your plants' needs.
An efficient system promotes good plant health, saves money by avoiding costly repairs and saves water by reducing evaporation, runoff and weed growth. Try these drip system tips from Water - Use It Wisely.

Ask questions when buying irrigation components.
Most irrigation stores that specialize in irrigation parts have qualified staff members who can help design your irrigation system.

Hire a pro.
It pays to hire a licensed contractor to do the work. While it may cost more than doing it yourself, you're likely to save money in the long run by ensuring a properly designed system for your home's landscape needs.

Speak the pro's language.
Ask your city's water conservation office for the brochures Xeriscape: Landscaping with Style and Landscape Watering by the Numbers. Also, inquire about upcoming classes. Review the Drip Guidelines Manual at www.amwua.org.

If you feel comfortable doing it yourself, there are a few other things to keep in mind.

Use separate valves for turf and plant areas.
Group plants with similar water needs on the same valve. Accommodate different watering needs by using multiple valves. Trees should be on a separate valve than shrubs and groundcover.

Install a backflow preventer.
A properly installed anti-siphon/vacuum breaker assembly prevents dirt, fertilizer or other hazardous substances from contaminating your drinking water.

Avoid oddly shaped or narrow turf areas.
When you have an area that is less than 10 feet wide, it's difficult to avoid wasting water.

Install enough emitters to wet the root zone.
At maturity, large trees may require 12 or more emitters. Small or newly planted trees may only need three to five emitters.

Watch how much tubing you use.
Try not to install more than 200 feet of poly tubing from valve to end cap or a total flow of 200 gallons per hour per valve. Avoid extending micro-tubing (spaghetti line) more than six feet from the poly tubing.

Author Karen Young is a Water Conservation Coordinator for the Town of Gilbert.