Water Conservation - Overview

Water is the most important natural resource; without it, there is no life. Yet judging by our water use and consumption practices, many of us take it for granted. The average American uses 100 gallons of water per day. More and more Americans are demonstrating their water smarts indoors by retrofitting their homes with WaterSense products. But outdoors, especially in the summer, the amount of water used can exceed the amount used for all other purposes in the entire year. This is especially true in hot, dry climates. Gardening and lawn care account for the majority of this seasonal increase. Of the estimated 29 billion gallons of water used daily in the United States, more than 30 percent is devoted to outdoor water use. In dry climates, outdoor water use can be as high as 60 percent. The majority of this is used for landscaping. We can design a landscape that conserves water as well as energy.  

Here is a brief overview of some water-conserving landscaping strategies.

• Go native or choose plants that need less water. Once established, native and low water-using plants require little water beyond normal rainfall. 

• Group plants according to their water needs. Grouping vegetation with similar watering needs into specific “hydrozones” reduces water use by allowing you to water to each zone’s specific needs. 

• Maintain healthy soils. Healthy soils are the basis for a water-smart landscape; they effectively cycle nutrients, minimize runoff, retain water, and absorb excess nutrients, sediments, and pollutants. 

• Be selective when adding turf areas. Turfgrass receives the highest percentage of irrigation water in traditional landscaping. To improve the aesthetics of your landscape and better manage outdoor water use, plant turfgrass only where it has a practical function or use Drought resistant turfgrass.

• Water wisely. Know your plant’s water needs and avoid watering during the heat of the day. If you have an irrigation system, make regular adjustments to ensure proper watering. 

• Use mulch. Incorporate mulch around shrubs and garden plants to help reduce evaporation, inhibit weed growth, moderate soil temperature, and prevent erosion. 

• Provide regular maintenance. Replace mulch around shrubs and garden plants at least once per year, and remove weeds and thatch as necessary. 

Use Water-Smart Landscaping

In addition to requiring less water, fertilizer, pesticides, and usually less maintenance, water-smart landscapes offer many other benefits: 

• Lower water bills from reduced water use

• Conservation of natural resources and preservation of habitat for plants and wildlife. 

• Decreased energy use (and air pollution associated with its generation) because less pumping and treatment of water is required. 

• Reduced home or office heating and cooling costs through the careful placement of shade trees and shrubs.

• Reduced runoff of storm water and irrigation water that carries top soils, fertilizers, and pesticides into lakes, rivers, and streams. 

• Fewer yard trimmings to be managed or landfilled. 

• Reduced landscaping labor and maintenance costs.

• Extended life for water resource infrastructure (e.g., reservoirs, treatment plants, groundwater aquifers), thus reduced taxpayer costs. If you’ve designed a water-smart landscape, you might be able to get all the water you need from rainfall alone. But sometimes, that might not be enough. Whether you water with a hose or use an irrigation system, smart watering habits can keep your lawn and landscape healthy and beautiful without wasting water or money.

You are already busy enough, let Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC take the watering and landscaping worries of your commercial property off your mind.  To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net