Keeping it green while conserving water

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July 16, 2009

By TRAVINA COLEMAN The Tahlequah Daily Press Thu Jul 16, 2009, 09:11 AM CDT

Water — nature’s most abundant life source; and we take it for granted.

In the dead heat of the summer here in Oklahoma, it gets pretty miserable, and the thought of lying on the grass and letting the hose run over you for hours is tempting.

But not practical.

In fact, because it’s so hot, people need to be sure to watch the water amount they use, because while the city of Tahlequah isn’t rationing water just yet, they don’t want to have to, either.

July is Smart Irrigation Month and there are several things you can do as a consumer avoid wasteful watering. The Irrigation Association named July the month

Gail Dotson, office manager at the Tahlequah Public Works Authority, said that it’s always important to watch the water consumption, not only for the environment but for your pockets, too.

“People are using more water in July,” she said. “They are taking more showers because it’s so hot. They are also doing a lot of lawn watering, too.”

Dotson said they are things you can do to prevent the waste.

“Be careful how you set sprinklers, and make sure not to water cement, is the first thing,” she said.

“Do your watering early in the morning or late in the evening to prevent the evaporation from the heat of the day. Also, if you have some clean water in the house, instead of letting it go down the drain use it on the greenery around the house.”

Sarah Peyton of Tahlequah said she normally uses a simple sprinkler to keep her lawn green.

“It’s pretty easy and it beats me [having to stand] out there with a hose,” she said. But Peyton also said she is careful about where she puts the sprinkler.

“The one thing that drives me nuts is seeing someone watering the sidewalk,” she said.

However, most homeowners tend to over-water their lawn or waste water through inefficient habits. Adopting water-savvy habits is essential to maintaining and extending your community’s water supply, especially during peak use.

Ronnie Beaver of Tahlequah said he only irrigates his lawn in the evenings or early in the morning, and it seems to help keep his lawn healthy.

“I think it’s the best time,” he said. “That way they have a chance to benefit from the water before the sun takes it away.”

According to irrigation .org the key to efficient outdoor irrigation is applying just enough water and only when necessary.

Water-wise habits will result in a healthier lawn and landscape, in addition to conserving water. Plus, reducing your consumption will help reduce your water bill.

For those who would like to tune up their water irrigation systems, you can install a weather-based irrigation controller, or just become more aware of your watering habits.

According to the web site, July is generally the hottest month of the year, when plants need the most irrigation. Most of the water used by residential customers is used on landscapes by at 50 to 60 percent or more.

Lastly, more water is wasted in landscape irrigation than in any other use.

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Keeping it green while conserving water

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