Preparing for Summer with Smart Irrigation Controllers

With summer approaching, it’s time to adjust your landscape irrigation clock to follow the community’s mandatory seasonal watering schedule.

In effect May 1 through Aug. 31, the summer schedule prohibits spray irrigation between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday watering is prohibited. However, just because you can water more this summer doesn’t mean you need to. Follow these tips to help you maintain a healthy landscape and manage your water bill.

·   Water in the early morning to minimize the amount of water lost to evaporation and daytime winds.

·   Water grass on a three- or four-day-a-week schedule and slowly add additional days as the summer heat increases.

·   Water your grass no more than 12 minutes total per watering day. It’s all your grass needs. Run sprinklers 3 times a       day for 4 minutes each cycle, spaced 1 hour apart.

·  Plants and trees require much less water than grass. Set your drip irrigation to two to three days a week.

·  The average customer can save up to $300 annually on their water bills by following the seasonal watering restrictions year-round.

Take advantage of the cash rebate the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) offers on the purchase of smart irrigation controllers, which use sensors and weather data to automatically adjust irrigation system run times and the amount of water your landscape needs.

The SNWA’s rebate offers 50 percent off the purchase price of a new smart controller, or up to $100, whichever is less. Installing a smart controller can not only help you maintain a healthy landscape through the heat of summer, but it also can help you cut your outdoor water use by as much as 30 percent, which also will save money on your monthly water bill.

For more information about the smart controller rebate and other SNWA programs that can help you save water and money, visit snwa.com