Written by Bob Nicholson | 03 February 2012

Did you know that most water customers start off the spring irrigation season with a leak or two? Even in our mild climate, winter can be brutal to irrigation systems. Drip emitters clog or go missing, and sprinklers may also develop problems. The best way to find most leaks is to turn the system on and watch while it is running. Missing emitters will be located by a thin stream of water shooting into the air, or rattling the leaves of a shrub. One missing emitter can double water consumption on a drip line, so this should not be ignored. If your emitters are buried, you may have a problem seeing a leak, so I always recommend that emitters be exposed above ground.

Sprinklers in need of repair will also be spouting water inappropriately, or will simply be clogged and need to be cleaned out. Getting your system ready to launch in spring is time well spent, and given the drier than normal winter, you will avoid the last minute rush or, worse yet, irrigating with a costly, leaky system.

Regarding dry winters, have you succumbed to the temptation to water during the winter? Even with little or no rain, you can safely reduce your irrigation schedule significantly. Winter evening temperatures, the lower angle of the sun and slower lawn growth will allow most lawns to get by with only about five minutes of irrigation per week (Fixed spray pop-up sprinklers) during dry weather. One of my greatest challenges is to convince customers that irrigation directly after a winter rain is unnecessary; it may take several weeks for the soil to dry enough to require supplemental irrigation!

Bob Nicholson has a degree in Natural Resources Management from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo with more than 20 years of experience in water conservation, irrigation consultation, and leak detection. Bob is available for residential and commercial consultation. Call him evenings and weekends at 805-440-6977 and ask about his services.

Written by Sandra Marshall | 02 January 2012

January is the time to make two simple changes that will save you water and money. I like to start with the backup battery in the automatic irrigation controller.

The controller is usually in a small plastic box, hanging on the inside garage wall; sometimes it can be found attached to the outside of the house. Most controllers have a 9-volt backup battery hidden behind a plastic cover. This battery should be changed each year, because it keeps the programming should there be a power outage. If the battery goes dead, then a power outage will switch your programming to a factory pre-set program that amounts to a daily watering schedule. If you ever see the display blinking, there has been a power outage, and a simple touch of a button should stop the blinking. Your backup battery has saved the day!

Next, it is time to check for obvious water leaks. Look at your water bill for periods of time when your irrigation was off. Indoor water consumption should total about 2 units (also called HCF) per resident per month. If your water provider measures in gallons, that totals about 1,496 gallons per person per month. Significantly higher than expected consumption means it is time to look closer. You may have a water leak or perhaps your irrigation has continued into the rainy season.

Be looking for the upcoming February article, because we will be discussing how to head off costly leaks that plague most gardens at the beginning of the irrigation season.

Bob Nicholson has a degree Natural Resources Management from Cal Poly, SLO with more than 20 years of experience in water conservation, irrigation consultation and leak detection. Bob is available for residential and commercial consultation. Call him evenings and weekends at 805-440-6977 and ask about his services.