Water Conservation Information and Resources

 for Residents of The Landings

(Courtesy of Skidaway Audubon - http://www.skidawayaudubon.org/)

Please Click Water Conservation Forum 3-8-2012 to learn more details from a community water discussion.

Outdoor Water Use Restrictions at The Landings

NO watering allowed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

NO watering allowed on Fridays.

Odd-numbered addresses may water only on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Even-numbered addresses may water only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division, Level 1 Drought Restrictions

Residential Landscape Maintenance Guidelines at The Landings

Use of rain or humidity gauge with irrigation system is recommended under current standards (Tier 1, 2 and 3).

Lawn and Landscape Maintenance Guidelines

Rain Gauges

According to WaterSense (www.epa.gov/WaterSense/) as much as 70% of a home's total water use during the dry season may go to landscaping irrigation, and some experts estimate that more than 50% of landscape water is wasted because of evaporation, wind or overwatering.

Among many gauges available as add-ons to existing systems:

�         Rain-Clik by Hunter - Basic (http://www.hunterindustries.com/)

�         WR2 Series Wireless Rain Sensors by Rain Bird - Basic (http://www.rainbird.com/)

�         Smrt-Y by Rain Bird -- Delivers soil saturation and wilt rates, may not be compatible with existing systems

�         Solar-Sync by Hunter -- The Landings Association uses on all clocks, requires an electronic clock

Smart Controllers

Smart controllers self-adjust and recalculate how much and where and when to water based on a plant's evapotranspiration rate, or ET, which considers environmental factors like weather, plant type, soil type, slope, sun exposure and root depth. For more information go to www.irrigation.org.  Or become your own smart controller. Put your irrigation system on "manual" and go to the Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network, http://www.georgiaweather.net/, find Skidaway (our weather station is located on the Magnolia golf course, between holes 1 and 9) for access to much of the same information a smart controller can deliver. This is the site The Landings Club accesses to determine when and how much to irrigate.

Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater harvesting is a technology used to collect, convey and store rain from relatively clean surfaces such as a roof �for later use. The water is generally stored in a rainwater tank. There are many varieties of systems available from very simple above ground rain barrels to more complex underground storage and pumping systems. Many resources are available; the following are only a few examples: http://www.rainxchange.com/; http://www.rainsaverusa.com/; http://www.gardenwatersaver.com/ ; and http://www.sprucecreekrainsaver.com/.

Irrigation Auditing

Conserve Water Georgia (http://www.conservewatergeorgia.net/) recommends hiring a professional auditor to test your system and make necessary adjustments. To verify that an irrigation professional is currently certified or to find an Irrigation Association Certified Auditor go to www.irrigation.org.

Efficient Irrigation

Here are tips from http://www.irrigation.org/  for reducing the cost of operating and maintaining an automatic irrigation system:

�  Know how to run your irrigation controller and change watering times.

�  Adjust the watering times (number of minutes) and the frequency of watering (daily, twice a week, etc.) based on weather conditions.

�  Change your settings to adjust for seasonal differences and reset the timer when needed.

�  Ask your contractor to install an inexpensive rain shutoff device or soil moisture sensor.

�  Regularly have a certified irrigation auditor check for leaks, broken heads and other problems.

�  Make sure the maintenance contractor is certified and licensed (if required), is insured, experienced and reputable and is legally authorized to maintain irrigation systems in your area.

�  Only water after the sun has gone down or in the early morning. (Specific day and time regulations for The Landings noted earlier.)

�  Make sure your spray and sprinkler heads are properly adjusted to avoid watering pavements and other non-landscape areas.

�  Water areas in the shade about 30 percent less than sunny areas.

�  If possible use drip irrigation to water trees and shrubs.

�  To eliminate runoff, set your clock to cycle 2-4 start times (no longer than 5 minutes each), 1 to 2 hours apart to allow water to soak into the soil. For example: water three times for 5 minutes, instead of 15 minutes all at once.

�  Develop a separate drip watering schedule for trees, shrubs and flower beds.

�  Aerate in the spring and fall to loosen soil and reduce runoff.

Information at Your Fingertips

Conserve Water Georgia (http://www.conservewatergeorgia.net/) is a site loaded with resources. Click waterSmart to find brochures such as "Developing a waterSmart Landscape,"  "Managing a WaterWise Landscape," and more.

Xeriscaping and Native Plants

Xeriscaping is a water-wise (not a zero water) landscape. It can reduce outdoor water use by as much as 50%, according to a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pamphlet, "Xeriscape: Seven Steps to a Water-Wise Landscape." The seven steps are:

1.       Proper planting and design

2.       Soil analysis and improvement

3.       Appropriate plant selection

4.       Practical turf areas

5.       Efficient irrigation

6.       Use of mulch

7.       Appropriate maintenance