In order to tackle
inefficient irrigation practices that result in wasted water, and help
customers identify malfunctions in their irrigation systems, The Water Authority
(WA) recently updated the Water Waste Reduction Ordinance and will be
implementing it during the 2019 irrigation season.
The goal of the
Ordinance is to eliminate water waste in our service area by providing
education and incentives to our customers. Of course, this goal is much like
the goal of eliminating all speeding cars from local roads, so the ordinance cannot
ensure total elimination of water waste. Instead, water use compliance
activities serve as an effective educational tool to change customer behavior
by reducing water waste.
Over the course
of the 20-year history of the Ordinance, the Water Authority has identified
that 90%
of water waste violations issued came as a result of runoff due to overspray,
leaks, malfunctions and inefficient timer scheduling practices.
In order to address these the WA is offering Free Efficient Irrigation Consultations to customers who receive a water waste notice. The WA will come to the customers property, evaluate their irrigation system and teach them how to avoid future water waste. Customers have 15 days to schedule a free consultation after receiving the notice
The amended Water Waste Reduction Ordinance provides the following benefits:
Less emphasis on enforcement and more on education
Create opportunities for more positive interaction with the public
Increase participation in Efficient Irrigation Consultations
Increase staff response effectiveness
The changes to the Water Waste Reduction Ordinance include the following:
All
customer classes will utilize the following system:
Reported Warning Notice for first complaint
Observed Warning Notice for documented water
waste
Certified Notice of Violation with an opportunity for an Irrigation Efficiency
Consultation
Fee assessed if consultation is not scheduled or
the problem is not fixed
The fee schedule was also modified. The previous fee
schedule had eight sequential violations issued over a period of five years.
The proposed new fee schedule will have three escalating fines for each consecutive
violation issued within one calendar year. The schedule has also been modified
to base the fee on meter size (representative of water usage).
Meter size
1st
Fee
2nd
Fee
3rd
Fee
<
1.5”
$20
$50
$100
<
4”
$100
$250
$500
<
8”
$250
$500
$1,000
Effective April 1, 2019, Water Conservation Specialists from the Water Authority will be identifying properties that may benefit from the free services that the WA offers. Property owners will be notified of any potential water waste issues that have been reported by the community or staff. As a result, the customer will receive a warning notice and an opportunity to request a Free Efficient Irrigation Consultation. Failure to correct any issues may result in a violation. If a customer receives a violation, they have 15 days to schedule a FREE Consultation.
Region:
All parts
of the Greater Albuquerque area except the East Mountains
A member of the pea family, the Whitethorn
Acacia is long-lived and able to survive only on rainwater in the Albuquerque
area. It becomes either a large shrub or small tree. Naturally occurring on
rocky slopes and drainage washes from Arizona to Texas at elevations from 1,500
to 6,000 feet, Whitethorn Acacia produces fragrant, yellow puffball flowers
from April through June that develop into 2”-5” long
capsules with clear constrictions between the beans (thus the Latin name).
Branches range from dark grey to reddish-brown, with a distinctive zigzag shape
and deciduous, fern-like foliage. Whitethorn Acacia is hardy to -10 degrees.
Site this plant with an
understanding of mature size, and a realization that pruning will require
interaction with numerous slender, white spines. With diligence, it can be
pruned into a small tree that casts filtered shade. Well-adapted to life in an
arid location, the Whitethorn Acacia will not produce leaves or flowers during
drought. It’s a great plant for wildlife, as the flowers
attract butterflies and bees and the seed pods are favored by quail.
This versatile plant,
whether trained as a small tree or allowed to grow naturally as part of a
low-maintenance buffer, asks for little and gives much. Select it for any of
its numerous positive qualities, including its showy flowers, whimsical form,
and excellent drought tolerance.
There is no need to water for the first two weeks in the month of March. The greater Albuquerque area received enough precipitation in the month of February via rain and snow to meet our plants’ water needs!
Below are our Spring Watering Recommendations but there is no need to water this month due to the amount of precipitation the area has received.
Remember to mark your calendar on the day of the last big rainstorm, then make a note to review the winter water recommendation chart on the same date of the next month. Keeping track of precipitation will help you decide whether you need to water during the spring months.
As
the seasons begin to change and the signs of Spring appear in the landscape, be
on the lookout for a remarkable shrub with small, fragrant yellow flowers: the Golden
Currant. A native to New Mexico moisture catchments at elevations from 2,500 to
8,000 feet, this plant is suitable for many Albuquerque landscape situations if
sited and cared for properly.
A
standout in terms of multi-season interest, fragrance and wildlife garden value,
Ribes aureum has few botanical peers. In late
Spring, five-petaled flowers - with a scent said to resemble the aroma of cloves
or vanilla - attracts hummingbirds and monarch butterflies. The flowers develop
into edible currants, a favorite of birds, which by June will mature from a red
color to deep blue. Small green leaves turn a bright red in autumn before falling.
Tips for success: Golden
Current may succeed in sunny or shaded locations, but will require less irrigation
(link to new Efficient Irrigation Consultation tab) in lower elevations if sited
in at least partial shade. However, it is likely to fruit most heavily in sunnier
locations. Golden Current is adaptable to a wide range of soil types, but is not
tolerant of salt. It also benefits from a substantial layer of organic mulch for
moisture retention. Water every few weeks in summer. It may try to spread via suckers
so be careful when choosing a location.
A
useful specimen in any edible or wildlife garden, Ribes
aureum is also suitable for the edge of a rain garden or beneath a shade tree.
Grow it for its ornamental properties or simply for the fruit, which can be eaten
raw or used in juices, jams or pies.
Turn on your irrigation system after the last chance of freezing temperatures has passed (typically late March in the greater Albuquerque area, but possibly as late as mid-April). This will prevent damage to your irrigation system.
1. Turn on your irrigation system. Then observe and listen.
If you turned off the main valve for your irrigation system over the winter to prevent freezing, turn it back on slowly, only part way. Then wait a few minutes until the system is fully pressurized. If it is not leaking, turn it fully on.
Caution: turning it too fast can create a water-hammer which could break pipes.
Irrigation valve box with backflow preventers.
Check the backflow preventer for leaks by inspecting it and checking for wetness.
Open the valve box (it usually has a green cover) and make sure there is no water in the box itself. Look for leaks in the valves, connections, filters and pressure reducers.
Run each zone for several minutes (long enough to see every part of it up close). Walk along each irrigation system pipe and inspect all sprinkler, bubbler and/or drip zones.
For sprinklers:
Look for signs of a leak, such as at the risers to the heads, the heads themselves, the emitter lines, or the pipes.
Look for heads not spraying correctly, such as spraying in the wrong direction, spraying too low, or other signs of breakage or misalignment. It is very common for them to go out of alignment when the system was turned off for the winter.
Spray head with minor leak
For drip and bubbler systems:
Look for missing emitters and/or bubblers. Emitters or bubblers may be hard to see due to plant coverage so listen carefully. Hearing a whooshing sound means an emitter or emitter line has blown off.
Drip emitter
2. Re-check the valve boxes again for water leaks now that the system has been on for testing.
3. Perform any necessary repairs and re-check for leaks after repairs are complete.
4. Set the timer.
Typical Irrigation Timer
The key to irrigation is to supply enough water to replace evaporative
losses from the ground root areas and from the leaves or stems. Too much or too
little water can harm your plants. It
is important that you set the timer correctly.
Follow the water recommendations guide to help you set your timer. Mixed zones like lawns and desert friendly landscapes are hard to water together. They usually need different run times. Large trees do not do as well being watered as if they were a lawn. Lawns have shallow roots (1” to 6” is typical) so usually need less water per application than trees with their deep roots (up to 24”). They require longer, deeper watering. Sign up for a FREE Efficient Irrigation Consultation at 505-289-3003 for help with your timer settings.
Do not confuse start times with zone numbers. Remember that every start time (4 am, 11 am, 5 pm….) on a program (A, B, C…) will run all your zones in series for the program you are running.
Attach a written copy of your schedule showing programs, zone number and corresponding location to the inside of your controller box.
Sprinkler heads or emitters vary greatly as to how much water comes out per minute. A slow watering head may need 2 to 4 times the watering time of traditional faster water delivery heads. For example, emitters can be as low as ½ gallon per hour but could be as high as 14 gallons per hour. The same watering time will not work for all zones or all emitter types.
Bubblers typically deliver 1 or 2 gallons per minute, compared to emitters that can be 1 or 2 gallons per hour. Many people over water when using bubblers for small plants. If you see pooling, run-off or recognize the flow is too fast, then replace the bubbler with a smaller one.
After watering, test to see if you provided enough, too little, or about right amount of water to the plants. Use a soil probe or a long screwdriver to test soil moisture. Push the screwdriver into the soil about an hour after you’ve watered your plants. It will go easily into moist soil. Mark and measure how far it went into the ground. That will tell you how deep you have watered that plant. Every yard is different, but once you figure out how long it takes your watering system to water to certain depths, you’ll be set.
If your controller is getting old, you would be wise to install an up to date one. There are lots of options. Some are “smart” controllers and can do many irrigation tasks well and can be operated from your phone or home computer, allowing you anywhere, anytime control. Check out the Irrigation Efficiency Rebates here to help you with the cost.
5. Observe your irrigation system the first month of the season.
We suggest the run times for the first few weeks should be during times of day where you can observe the operation of the system. When you are sure everything is running well, then you can have the system run at times you would not normally be observing. However, we suggest manually running the system zones for a few minutes every two months just to stay on top of any problems that may occur.
Many homeowners want to put a lot of water on at the beginning of the year to make sure the dry roots from the winter get thoroughly soaked. This makes some sense for the first watering of the year. Once the roots are soaked, you can go to shorter run times and number of runs per week to adequately irrigate your plants.
If you are uncertain about the any of the start-up tips, or need help, contact us for FREE Irrigation Efficiency Consultations at 505-289-3003. Or consider hiring a landscape contractor to help you get your system up and running correctly.
Author: Richard Chapman of Smart Use in Albuquerque, NM.
