Ways to Use Water Wisely Outdoors This Summer
Outdoor water use, which accounts for 30 percent of
a typical household’s water use, goes up for many
of us in the summer, especially if we have homes or
businesses with lawns and gardens.
Did you know that as much as 50 percent of the
water we use outdoors is wasted by inefficient wa-
tering? This column offers some tips to help reduce
outdoor water use.
Tune-up Tips for Automatic Sprinklers
Many of us rely on automatic sprinkler systems to
keep our lawns looking their best. Automatic sprin-
klers are convenient because you can just set them
and forget them.
Summertime, when outdoor water use is typically
high, is a good time to evaluate your sprinkler system
to make sure it’s working efficiently.
The Gulf Coast Water Authority (GCWA), which pro-
vides tap water to almost 190,000 Galveston County
residents, is encouraging businesses and homeowners to
check their systems in July during Smart Irrigation Month.
This national public awareness campaign promotes efficient outdoor water
use to: ● Save money on your utility bill
● Minimize over- watering while keeping your lawn healthy
● Conserve water, a limited resource Taking these steps to maintain your automatic sprinkler system can save thousands of gallons a year.
● Check to make sure sprinkler heads are working properly
● Set the controller to water no more than twice a week
● Set sprinklers to water your yard, not your driveway, side-
walk or street
● Water in multiple, short intervals to reduce runoff (i.e. three
5-minute intervals)
● Water during the cool time of day because watering in the
heat can cause 30 percent of the water to evaporate
● Upgrade your system with a rain sensor
● Adjust your controller for seasonal weather con-
ditions
Be Water Wise
Tuning up your automatic sprinkler is just one way
to more efficiently use water. Here are more tips that
can make a difference.
- Use a drip irrigation system or soaker hose for
your garden - Clean paved areas with a broom or rake instead
of hosing them down - Mulch beds with natural mulch to retain moisture
and reduce the amount of water that plants need - Use a nozzle on your hose to avoid runoff
- Landscape with native plants and drought-resis-
tant plants that need less water - Install a rain barrel – or a few – to collect rainwa-
ter for your plants - Control weeds, which steal nutrients and water
from your grass and other plants
Being aware of your outdoor water use is the first
step toward protecting this limited resource. Fol-
low GCWA on Facebook for more news and water
conservation tips. Also visit the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s WaterSense website (www.epa.
gov/watersense) for more information about reducing
water use indoors and outdoors.
Jake Hollingsworth is manager of GCWA’s Thomas
Mackey Water Treatment Plant, which has a produc-
tion capacity of 57 million gallons a day.
SOURCE: Jake Hollingsworth, Gulf Coast Water
Authority
CONTACTS: Jake Hollingsworth, (281) 967-1405
Kathy Thomas, (409) 789-9284
“Human nature is like water. It takes the shape of its
container.”
― Wallace Stevens
