Worried your sprinkler system is leaking or not working right?

Consider an appointment with City's Irrigation Specialist

Marlene Feist, Utilities Communications Manager, (509) 625-6505

Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at 3 p.m.

Sprinkler systems can waste a tremendous amount of water if they’re not working properly. If you’re concerned your system is leaking or that you’re using too much water, the City of Spokane Water Department has a solution: A visit with our irrigation specialist.

“Our irrigation specialist is trained to seek out problems and help homeowners set their systems to use water more efficiently,” says Dan Kegley, the City’s Water Department Director. “Adjustments will save water and lower summer utility bills.”

The City’s irrigation specialist will teach customers about their control clock system and current watering scheduling methods, complete a test run of their irrigation systems to identify maintenance issues, and provide other tips about watering and landscaping.

The free service is available to City of Spokane water customers on a first-come, first-serve basis. To request an appointment, call 509.742.8144 or send an email to waterstewardship@spokanecity.org. 

With this summer’s heat and lack of rain, the need to save water is as important as ever.

 

Last month, Mayor David Condon and the City Council asked residents and businesses to follow these voluntary, water-saving steps:

  • Don’t sprinkle between noon and 6 p.m. Some experts estimate that 50 percent of the water evaporates when sprinkling in the heat of the day. Morning watering is considered best as the water doesn’t sit on the roots overnight, which can cause problems with root rot or fungal disease.
  • Switch to watering your lawn every other day, rather than every day. Infrequent and deep watering is better. This schedule will encourage the roots of a lawn to grow more deeply, allowing them to draw water from the soil more effectively.
  • Don’t let your hose run. While washing a car, use a nozzle or shut off the faucet until the water is needed. Running a 5/8-inch hose for 30 minutes wastes up to 150 gallons of water.
  • Don’t water on windy days, and turn your sprinklers off when it rains.
 

One inch a week of water is a watering “rule of thumb” suggested for most lawns. Experts suggest infrequent and deep watering over frequent and shallow watering to encourage roots of your lawn to grow more deeply. The deeper the roots the better your lawn can draw water from the soil. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that nationally, lawn care and landscaping accounts for more than 30 percent of water use in the United States.

For more water tips and information, go to www.waterstewardship.org.