The Water Authority encourages efficient outdoor water use for beautiful landscapes. With some 40 percent of our drinking water going to landscaping, improving outdoor water use efficiency is now the main focus of the Water Authority’s conservation efforts. But irrigation efficiency doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful, desert friendly yard. Below is your three-step plan for a beautiful, desert friendly yard.

1. Service your irrigation system by checking for leaks and malfunctions.

Low-maintenance landscapes are great, but there’s no such thing as a “no-maintenance” irrigation system. A single broken sprinkler head flowing at 15 gallons per minute will waste 900 gallons in one hour of use. Service your system regularly, and check it often for leaks and malfunctions.

2. Set your turf irrigation timer to water by the numbers.

Adjust your irrigation timer according to the season. For turf, water by the numbers: One day per week in March, two days per week in April and May, three days per week in the summer, and ramp down in the Fall. For other landscapes, follow the Seasonal watering recommendations. Call today for a free irrigation consultation.

3. Select desert friendly plants that thrive in our dry climate.

There are literally hundreds of plant options to choose from that will thrive in our desert climate. And there are rebates available for replacing turf with a desert friendly landscape.

If you follow this three-step plan, you’re sure to have landscape success.