High Water Pressure Can Cost You Money

Optimizing Your Irrigation System Can Save You Money

Much of the water used for irrigation is wasted in the form of over-spray. With water rates sky-rocketing, controlling waste is perhaps the easiest adjustment you can make to save money. The first step is simple; simply adjust sprinkler heads so that they don’t water your driveway, sidewalks, or your house. Not only will you avoid damage to your siding, but you may avoid possible fines.

Sprinklers spraying on a house can cause thousands of dollars in damage. This is one of the most frequently listed items in our home inspection reports. Even stucco will become damaged by long-term exposure to sprinklers. Wood and hard-board siding are particularly subject to damage from over-spray. If you have sprinklers spraying directly on your house, fix it as soon as possible.

Most sprinklers have an adjustment screw on top which allows you to make small adjustments to the spray pattern. In some cases you may have to re-locate the sprinklers. A good option for correcting sprinklers located too close the the house is to convert the sprinkler heads to a drip system.

In addition to over-spray and possible fines, simply having high water pressure can waste water. This may not be obvious, but water forced out of a sprinkler at high pressure becomes atomized – like a fine mist. Instead of falling onto your garden, this mist can be blown away or evaporate quickly. Many parts of San Diego have very high pressure at the street. Often, the irrigation system is plumbed directly off the water supply, and can have pressure as high as 130 psi. If this is the case, have a pressure regulator installed. It will pay for itself by reducing your water consumption. You won’t have to water as long to adequate coverage for your garden.

A well designed irrigation system can also save water and result in a healthier garden. Rain Bird has an excellent white paper on how to design a system. Consider converting some of your sprinkler heads to a drip system. Drip systems allow you to concentrate water directly at the root system. This is particularly beneficial for shrubs, trees, roses and bushes. This is particularly beneficial near the house.

The City of San Diego's mandatory water restrictions went into effect on June 1, 2009. Here are the Level 2 mandatory restrictions residents must abide by:

Landscape irrigation is limited to no more than three assigned days per week from June 1- Oct. 31. Those days are:

* Homes with odd-numbered addresses can water: Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday

* Homes with even-numbered addresses can water: Saturday, Monday & Wednesday

* Apartments, Condos and Businesses can water: Monday, Wednesday & Friday

* On your watering day, you may only water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

* Landscape irrigation using sprinklers is limited to no more than ten minutes maximum per watering station per assigned day (does not apply to drip, micro-irrigation, stream rotor, rotary heads, hose end sprinklers with timers or valves operated by a weather-based irrigation controller).

* Trees and shrubs not irrigated by a landscape irrigation system may be watered no more than three assigned days per week by using a hand-held container, hand-held hose with positive shut-off nozzle, or low-volume soaker hose.

* Irrigation of nursery and commercial growers' products is permitted in the hours between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. or at any time when using a hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle, hand-held container, or drip, micro-irrigation.

* Irrigation of nursery propagation beds is permitted at any time.

* Vehicle washing is permitted only in the hours between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. with a hand-held container or a hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle for quick rinses, or at any time on the immediate premises of a commercial car wash. Vehicle washing required for public health and safety is exempt.

* Water use by commercial car washes which do not use partially re-circulated water will be reduced in volume by an amount determined by the City Council.

* All leaks must be stopped or repaired upon discovery or within 72 hours of notification by the City of San Diego.

* Bird baths, koi ponds and any ornamental water feature using a re-circulating pump and which does not shoot water into the air are allowed under Level 2. Water fountains which discharge into the air a jet or stream of water are banned under Level 2 restrictions.

However, these fountains may be operated for maintenance purposes. Any water feature that does not re-circulate water is banned.

* Use of recycled or non-potable water is required for construction purposes when available.

* Water use from fire hydrants is limited to fire fighting, City meter installation as part of the Fire Hydrant Meter Program, and for public health and safety reasons.

* Construction operations will not use water obtained by a fire hydrant meter for uses other than normal construction activity.

Specific supply reductions to local agencies may vary depending on how much of its total water supply each agency receives from the Water Authority. Urban water use restrictions may vary among local retail agencies. Most local ordinances generally reflect the Water Authority’s model drought response ordinance.

Info from the San Diego County Water Authority.

About the author: Philippe Heller is President of The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Co.