{"id":121,"date":"2021-08-16T18:02:30","date_gmt":"2021-08-16T18:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/live-tampa-bay-water.pantheonsite.io\/?page_id=121"},"modified":"2023-03-22T09:25:36","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T13:25:36","slug":"water-saving-tips","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/water-saving-tips","title":{"rendered":"Water Saving Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Water Saving Tips<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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SAVING WATER OUTDOORS<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Irrigation<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/i>\n\n\n\n

IF YOU WATER YOUR YARD REGULARLY MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR DAYS.<\/strong> Go to the Tampa Bay area watering restrictions zipcode lookup<\/strong><\/a> to find out when it\u2019s okay to water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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IF YOU HAVE AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM, MAKE SURE YOU WATER ONLY ON YOUR DESIGNATED DAYS.<\/strong> Consider skipping an irrigation cycle, by turning the system off, when it rains or has rained. Depending on the size of your yard you can save between 1500 and 2500 gallons of water each time you do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CONDUCT A VISUAL INSPECTION OF YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM<\/strong> by turning the system on to each zone for less than 5 minutes and visually looking for broken or misdirected heads. Correct these problems and water your landscape only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MAKE SURE THAT IRRIGATION HEADS ARE NOT BLOCKED BY GRASS OR SHRUBS.<\/strong> This is a common cause of dry areas in the landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NEVER MIX ROTOR HEADS<\/strong> (they move in partial or full circles) WITH SPRAY HEADS<\/strong> (they don\u2019t move and generally water smaller areas). Spray heads generally apply 2 to 4 times more water per square foot than rotors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NOT SURE HOW LONG TO WATER YOUR LANDSCAPE WITH YOUR AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEM?<\/strong> Generally, rotor zones should be set to at least 45 minutes to an hour (1\/2 to 3\/4 inch per application). Spray zones are generally set between 20 and 30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MAKE SURE YOUR RAIN SHUT OFF DEVICE WORKS AND IS SET CORRECTLY.<\/strong> This device is generally located near the side of the house close to the irrigation controller. When you are testing your irrigation system, make sure the device is set to \u00bd inch or less, pour water into the device and see if the irrigation system goes off. If it doesn\u2019t, consider installing a new device or replace it with a soil-moisture sensor. Soil-moisture sensors are more reliable than rain shutoff devices for longer periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WATER ONLY WHEN NECESSARY.<\/strong> Use visual clues to determine when your grass needs watering, such as: 1) When you walk on the lawn, footprints appear briefly because the bent blades don\u2019t spring back for several minutes, 2) grass blades appear blue-gray in color, or 3) grass blades are folded in half lengthwise on at least one-third of your lawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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USE A HOSE NOZZLE WHEN HAND WATERING.<\/strong> It saves water by keeping the water from running constantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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IF YOU USE RECLAIMED WATER ON YOUR YARD, DON\u2019T OVER IRRIGATE.<\/strong> Most plant problems are caused by over watering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NEED YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM TUNED UP?<\/strong> Make sure the contractor is a certified member of the Florida Irrigation Society. Go to www.fisstate.org<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Landscaping<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

LANDSCAPE PLANTS SHOULD GENERALLY BE ON DIFFERENT IRRIGATION ZONES THAN GRASS.<\/strong> Generally, you can bypass watering landscape plants frequently and can save hundreds of gallons each time you water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MAKE SURE YOUR LANDSCAPE BEDS HAVE 2-3 INCHES (after settling) OF ORGANIC MULCH AROUND EACH PLANT<\/strong> but not touching the plant trunk. Mulch cools the plant roots and helps retain moisture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MOW YOUR GRASS ON THE HIGHEST SETTING POSSIBLE<\/strong>\u00a0(3 to 4 inches) and never mow more than 1\/3 of the grass height. This helps to increase plant root depth and make it more tolerant to dry conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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USE A BROOM OR LEAF BLOWER TO CLEAN DEBRIS OFF DRIVEWAYS, PATHWAYS AND SIDEWALKS<\/strong> instead of using a hose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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IF YOU ARE SPRUCING UP YOUR YARD IN THE SPRING, ALWAYS CONSIDER DEFERRING PLANTING OF TREES UNTIL PLANTS CAN GET WATERED BY NATURE.<\/strong> If you want to plant everything in the spring, consider taking a Florida Friendly Landscape workshop or Rainwater harvesting workshop at your local extension office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n