As irrigation season ramps up, we sat down with the Water Authority’s irrigation specialist to ask a few questions about the utility’s new FREE Efficient Irrigation Consultations.
Why is the Water Authority offering this service?
In ABQ, 40% of our drinking water is
used on landscapes.
Improperly maintained irrigation
systems often apply twice the water the
plants need in order to compensate for system inefficiencies.
Often, relatively simple maintenance
or scheduling changes have a big impact on how much water our irrigation
systems use to water plants.
It’s often difficult for someone not
trained in this field to detect irrigation problems, since the systems usually
run at night and most components are hidden.
Empowering you to better understand your landscape and
irrigation systems will help all of us steward our valuable water resources.
How does a typical
consultation go?
A trained specialist will:
Arrive at your home at the scheduled
time to review your landscape goals and plant material.
Check your irrigation system’s
performance and controller settings.
Create customized recommendations for
irrigation settings to help you save money and water.
Review rebates that are available
through the Water Authority that could benefit you and your landscape.
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.
