With all this moisture Utah has seen this Winter, its hard to not look outside on this beautiful cloudy and drizzly day and not count our many blessings. The mountain sides are green, the grassy fields are lush and damp, the wildflowers are dancing along I-15 from state-line to state-line, and those pesky weeds seem to be growing faster than we can pull them. Southern Utah is known for its warm sunshine filled days, and we all know they will be back coming SOON! With so much beauty all around us, and with the rapid changing growth in population it’s always a good idea to be “in the know” about conserving water and the different watering schedules and regulations within each city limit.
The Division of Water Resources has developed a helpful website with conservation information and tips to help educate us on our water usage. Not only can you learn more about how to be more resourceful, they also break it down and give you a Weekly Watering Guide based on the current weather and outside temperature for our area.
The Facts:
Utah consumes about 240 gallons of water per person per day.
Most of the world’s water is contained in the oceans, with 97% sea water.
Of the remaining 3% of fresh water, only 1% is accessible.
We can only use 1% of the Earth’s water!
Utah uses the MOST water per capita, but receives the second LOWEST amount of rainfall per year with an average of 13 inches.
You can download the weekly watering guide app or use this link to stay connected and up to date each week on how to best water your lawn, this can help save energy, save water, and SAVE YOU MONEY!
They estimate that Utah could save more than 20 billion gallons of water every summer if everyone were to water according to the guide!
Water Wise Plants
When checking out which plants you want to buy this Spring to plant in your yard. Be on the lookout for the bright yellow Water Wise label. These plants adapt well to Utah’s climate and seasons, are relatively easy to maintain in your landscape, and have desirable characteristics which remain desirable, even with limited watering.
Here you will find a list and photos available of the Water Wise Plants available in your area: Water Wise Plant List
Rebates and Programs
There are several rebates and programs available to those who apply and are designed to save the home and business owner’s water and money.
Time-of-Day Watering Restrictions
In May of this year, St. George City Council initiated a “time-of-day” watering ordinance that limits outdoor watering to between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. This helps reduce the amount of water evaporation that occurs by watering in the heat of the day. Currently, over 10 million gallons of water are delivered between 4 am and 6 am each morning. Based on the water distribution system data, it appears that the majority of the residents in St. George are watering their landscapes between the hours of 4 am and 6 am.
“A large demand for water in a short period of time creates a noticeable pressure drop in the water distribution system. While a drop in pressure affects the entire distribution system, some residents will notice lower than normal pressure,” said Water Services Director, Scott Taylor.
A large drop in pressure will affect the efficiency of a sprinkler system and may result in inadequate sprinkler coverage. Dry areas of a lawn may be the result of inadequate sprinkler coverage. If this is the case, lengthening the watering cycle will most likely not resolve the dry spot issues, but will only result in increasing the amount of water running off the irrigated area.
“In an effort to improve water pressure city-wide, we are asking residents to adjust their sprinkler clocks to avoid watering between the hours of 4 am and 6 am,” Taylor added. The City is also asking residents to spread out their outside watering over a longer period of time. Spreading out the watering times does not mean to water for a longer period of time, but to allow for some down time in between sprinkler station cycles. Adjusting sprinkler systems to avoid watering between 4 am and 6 am and spreading out the watering times will increase the sprinkler system efficiency and improve sprinkler coverage in most cases. They have adapted this catchy new slogan...
Be a part of the FIX, don’t water between 4 and 6 am!
Be sure to check within your city limits to make sure you are in accordance to the ordinances and regulations.
Let’s try a little harder to be a little smarter with our water that brings us so much joy, refreshment, and beauty in the upcoming summer months!
Sources: (Click on words that appear in the article as BLACK and not gray, as they are direct links to each helpful source and website)
Written By: Nakelle Prisbrey
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