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by William
Granger
Water
Conservation Manager
In June, the Otay Water District’s Board of Directors
revised its Drought Response Conservation Program and the district declared a
Level 1 voluntary “Drought Watch.” Under a Level 1 Drought Watch, all customers
are strongly urged to voluntarily reduce water consumption by 10%.
Historic dry conditions in California
and in the Colorado River watershed make it
essential for residents and businesses to increase their conservation efforts
this year.
There are a number of things you can do this summer, that
while quick and straightforward, will help reduce daily water usage by at least
20 gallons per person. The following are
a few tips and programs to reduce your water usage and maintain a beautiful landscape.
Click here
to take the 20 Gallon Challenge
Check your sprinkler system
for leaks, breaks, and obstructions
The biggest water user at your home is your landscape, as
the average household applies approximately 60% of their water on their landscape.
If you have an automatic sprinkler system, leaks and breaks can go undetected
for months. Inefficiencies such as obstructed
or misaligned sprinkler heads may not be obvious until you see your sprinklers
running.
Take a few minutes to turn on your sprinklers and walk
around to see if they are aligned correctly. Look for overspray onto your
sidewalks, driveway, patio, and adjacent plant material. Ideally, water from
one lawn sprinkler should reach the adjacent sprinklers, often referred to as
head-to-head coverage. If you have a
drip system, make sure that the emitters are still connected, not clogged, and
periodically flush the filter.
Regularly Adjust your
Watering Schedule
Adjust your irrigation schedule monthly at a minimum. July and August are typically our hottest months, but during the fall the days are shorter and our plants need less water. Typically, plants need a third less water in the fall as compared to the summer.
Develop your own watering schedule by using the sprinkler calculator, or sprinkler index. Also consider installing a weather “smart” irrigation controller and let it make the necessary adjustments for you. For more information on our $350 rebate for weather “smart” irrigation controllers, or the $4.00 rebate per rotating sprinkler nozzle program, call Richard Namba at (619) 670-2730 or click here. You can also request a rebate application by calling 1-888-376-3314.
Get paid to Plant
Water-Wise Plants
Currently homeowners and commercial customers with large landscapes
can receive a $1.00 per square foot incentive when they replace unused, thirsty
turf grass with water-wise plants.
Homeowners must replace a minimum of 750 square feet of existing
irrigated turfgrass, have an existing in-ground irrigation system, and receive
pre-approval prior to beginning their replacement program. Apply
today, as funding is limited. For more information, call Richard Namba at (619)
670-2730.
Generally, plants from places such as Australia, Chile,
South Africa, and the
Mediterranean are both water-wise and very attractive. There are also a large
number of beautiful Southern California native
plants that require very little water.
Water-wise plants often have other beneficial values such as
attracting hummingbirds and butterflies, and are available at many local
nurseries.
You may not even realize you already have drought tolerant
plants in your yard and you might be over watering them as a result.
Click here to download our California Friendly Plant list.
Visit the Water Conservation
Garden and see mature examples
of water-wise plants
The Water Conservation Garden
located on the campus of Cuyamaca College is dedicated to saving water in our
landscaping. The Garden has more than
400 varieties of water-wise plants on 4.5 beautifully landscaped acres. It is located at 12122
Cuyamaca College Drive West, in El Cajon,
adjacent to Cuyamaca College, and is open daily 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. On
Wednesdays this summer the Garden is open until 7:30 p.m.
Take a Class in Water Wise
Landscaping
Classes cover topics such as turfgrass replacement, landscape
design, water-wise plant choices, and efficient irrigation systems. Visit www.thegarden.org for more details or call
the Garden at 619-660-0614.
$1 per square foot rebate for installing artificial turfgrass
The artificial turfgrass rebate of $1 per square foot is available for the first 1,000 square feet installed. Any artificial turfgrass installed beyond 1,000 square feet will be rebated at $.30/ square foot installed. Click for more details on our residential or commercial artificial turf rebate programs.
Replace your older clothes
washer with a high efficiency model
You will save 20 or more gallons per load (9,000 gallons per
year for the average family), and use 55% less energy. A $185 rebate is available for purchasing
qualified high efficiency washer by calling 1-888-376-3314.
Check your Toilets for
Leaks and Repair them Immediately.
Many toilet leaks are silent and often go unnoticed. Because of a warped toilet flapper or a high
water level within the tank, water may be draining or overflowing into the bowl. As a result, your toilet could be losing 30-50
gallons per day. To spot these types of
leaks, put a drop food coloring to the toilet tank. Wait 15 minutes to see if the food coloring
has migrated to the toilet bowl. For
more information on how to repair leaks, request a Practical Plumbing Handbook, or dye tablets, call us at
619-670-2291.
A $200 rebate is available per toilet ($30 rebate for newer
toilets), for replacing older, pre-1994 toilets with high efficiency toilets
such as dual-flush toilets that use an average of 1.28 gallons per flush. For
more information, call 1-888-376-3314 or visit www.20gallonchallenge.com
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