While it might not seem obvious, your sprinkler and irrigation systems can be considered part of your overall plumbing system. This is especially true when you are thinking about ways to conserve water and save money each month. The key to prevention is maintenance. If you keep your sprinkler and irrigation systems properly maintained, you can prevent small issues from escalating to major problems, which could cause wasted resources.
Here are some maintenance steps that you can take to keep your sprinkler and irrigation systems from wasting water this summer:
- Being this far into summer, it is unlikely that the ground on your property is still hard from the winter temperatures. However, it is important to check the soil to see how responsive it is to moisture. Take a shovel and dig at least 12 inches in a couple of spots on your property. The soil should be soft and moist from previous watering.
- Always check-in on the timer and settings to make sure that the programming that is current is appropriate for the weather conditions. If there is a storm coming, it might be a good idea to turn the auto-program off to avoid watering your lawn during a rainstorm. Check the battery and programming on a regular basis rather than going the ‘set it and forget it’ route.
- Check your sprinkler heads on a regular basis to make sure there isn’t rocks, dirt, or sand laying on top of them. This will prevent the sprinkler heads from deploying up out of the ground and the sediment will block the proper flow of water. This is especially important to do after you have mowed the lawn or, if there has been a lot of foot traffic on your property.
- Keep an eye on all of the valves of your irrigation and sprinkler systems. Valves are designed to regulate the distribution of water the entire system. A valve that is leaking or damaged will quickly cause an increase in your water bill.
- On a monthly basis, check your sprinkler by each zone. As the zone is working to water your landscaping, check for leaks, cracks, and damage and make note as to which zone it is in. Make sure that each zone is watering at the same volume as the others.
During the summer months it is not unusual for a water bill to be extra high. However, you can follow these simple tips for keeping your water bill within budget.