Fall is here. You know it, your plants know it, but does your
irrigation system know it? Unless you have a
”
smart controller
”
on your irrigation system, there is a great chance that you are
wasting water
– and money.
Fall is here.
You know it, your plants know it, but does your irrigation system know it? Unless you have a “smart controller” on your irrigation system, there is a great chance that you are wasting water – and money. Water efficiency researchers have studied plant growth and irrigation patterns and have discovered that most water waste occurs in the Fall.
So, if you have yet to adjust your schedule, don’t feel guilty, apparently you’re in good company. Now that you’ve read this, however, the time to act is right now.
Your landscape can probably get by with less than one-half of the water it needed two months ago and you can probably turn it off altogether come December. Do it today and save money throughout the season.
Speaking of “smart controllers” in the garden, did you know that you could receive hundreds of dollars in rebates from the Santa Clara Valley Water District for upgrading your irrigation?
It all starts with having a free Water Wise House Call at your home. In addition to talking to you about controllers, the “Water Doctor” will:
- Replace leaking toilet flapper valves if needed and requested.
-
Measure your showerhead flow rates and install free showerheads if needed and requested.
-
Measure faucet flow rates and provide faucet aerators for kitchens and bathrooms.
-
Evaluate the efficiency of your irrigation system.
-
Provide you with a personalized irrigation schedule.
-
Identify irrigation leaks, broken or mismatched sprinkler heads, high water pressure and other common problems.
-
Develop a prioritized list of how you can start using water as efficiently as possible and help meet the 10 percent water savings goal.
To suit your schedule, Water-Wise House Calls are available for Santa Clara County residents and apartment managers Monday through Saturday, during daylight hours.
To schedule an appointment, call 1 (800) 548-1882.
Don’t be alarmed by later end of Daylight Savings Time
We’ll be waiting until Nov. 7 to turn our clocks back this year. While this seems late in the year to do so, it does allow trick-or-treaters a better chance to circulate in the twilight hours.
Do remember that our daylight savings time dates were extended to save energy since we can avoid switching on lights for another evening hour.
Most importantly, however, do remember to change your smoke alarm batteries in conjunction with changing your clocks and test the alarms. If you think about it, ensuring that our alarms are properly functioning is one of the best things we can do to safeguard our families and homes. Remember to recycle your old batteries either by placing them in a zipped plastic bag on the top of your recycling cart – or by bringing them to one of the following convenient battery drop off locations in the City: BookSmart, People and Planet, Johnson Lumber, Target, and the Centennial Recreation Center.
Staying eco-connected
Your City’s Environmental Programs Division tries its best to keep you current on city environmental issues.
In addition to this column, consider a free subscription to our Civic Green Newsletter (www.morganhill.ca.gov/list.aspx) and check out our Facebook Page (City of Morgan Hill Environmental Programs Division).
Shop Smarter
I’m sure that many of you are beginning your holiday shopping already.
This is a great time to think about green gifts, giving the gift of an experience (concert, play, game, etc.), and really thinking about sustainability when shopping.
In addition, remember to shop local and use those reusable bags!
Anthony Eulo is a Program Administrator for the city of Morgan Hill who does have a smart irrigation controller. He welcomes your questions, comments and thoughts and can be reached at 778-6480 or en*****@***********ca.gov.
