Walk the Line: A mid-summer check of your irrigation system

Walk the Line: A mid-summer check of your irrigation system

by | Jul 31, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Home Page, Maintenance, Summer, Water Conservation, Watering and Irrigation, Xeriscape

Up to 50% of outdoor water use is wasted due to lack of service. In just 15 minutes, a broken sprinkler could waste about 225 gallons of water.  To put that in perspective, that’s more than the daily water needs for 3 Albuquerque homes.

If that broken sprinkler is set to run in the middle of the night, it could easily go a full week unnoticed, which would end up wasting 1575 gallons of water. That’s as much water as most Albuquerque residents use over an entire month during the winter. What if your leak goes unnoticed until you receive your next water bill? There goes 6300 gallons. If you’re like many of our customers and don’t pay much attention to your water bill due to auto payments, that broken sprinkler could run for an entire irrigation season unnoticed, wasting over 50,000 gallons of water. This one broken sprinkler can waste more water than what it takes to supply a home for a year. Consider the amount of water wasted citywide by that broken sprinkler along with all the other broken sprinklers, leaky pipes, and poorly programmed systems, and you can understand why it’s important for all of us to promptly address water waste issues in our landscapes.

Make the time to “walk the line”. While your system is running, walk the perimeter of your property and check your system. Do this a minimum of once a month for sprinkler systems. If you have a drip system, check it more often as they’re more susceptible to damage.  If your system is over 20 years keep an eye on it as components are going to fail more frequently on older systems.

When you walk the line, it’s important to use all your senses, not just your eyes.  Pay attention to the feel of the surface you’re walking on. If you feel a squishy spot below your feet, you probably have a subsurface leak.  Also, listen, your brain is remarkably good at picking out sounds that are out of place, and can lead you to a leak.

 

Monthly Walk the Line Checks:

Leaks:

Sprinkler System Leaks: Quickly catching leaks will save plants and money. A broken sprinkler head is easy to identify.  Less easy to see and often overlooked is a cracked pop-up spray nozzle (see photo). It’s important to know how your sprinklers look when they’re distributing water as intended, so if one starts spraying water differently from the rest, notice it and inspect it more.

Leaks from sprinkler head and cracked nozzle.

 

The good news is that replacing sprinkler heads and nozzles is easy. All you have to do is unscrew the old one to remove it and then screw in the new one. Just remember to replace them with the exact same brand part and model. Putting in the wrong part can result in distributing the wrong amount of water on your turf. This will cause brown spots either from your grass dying because it’s not getting enough water or from fungus because it’s getting too much. Unfortunately, most homeowners’ responses to brown spots is to apply more water. But remember, symptoms of over and under watering can look similar.

Make your life easy and keep the correct spare parts for your system on hand.  If you’re uncertain, consider taking what you have to your local irrigation supply store for help with finding the right match.

When you purchase your new sprinkler parts, ask about high efficiency nozzles and pressure regulating spray bodies to upgrade your system.  We offer Irrigation Efficiency Rebates for this equipment. However, do not mix and match traditional spray sprinklers with newer high efficiency options, they do not deliver water at the same rate. So, if you replace one sprinkler with an upgrade, you need to also upgrade at least the rest of the sprinklers in that zone and then make sure you adjust your sprinkler run time for the new rate at which water is applied with efficient nozzles.

Drip System Leaks:

If you have a drip system we recommend that you walk the line more often. Drip systems are easy to install and maintain, but they’re also easily damaged. One of the more common problems we see is cracked or punctured polyline tubing.

This is an inexpensive and easy fix. A small hole can be patched by inserting a “goof plug”. And a larger hole or crack can be repaired with a repair coupling, just make a clean cut and connect the two pieces with the correct size coupling. It’s a good idea to always keep goof plugs and the right sized couplings on hand if you have a drip system. A tackle box can be useful for all the parts. After the repair, run the system and observe the zone running to make sure the repair was successful and that you don't have other leaks.

 

Another common issue with drip systems is missing emitters. This is also an easy and inexpensive fix. You just need to pop on a new emitter with a replacement that delivers water at the same rate as the old one.

If you are frequently loosing emitters it's highly likely that the pressure in your drip zone needs to be reduced.  Each drip valve should have a pressure reducer installed to match the pressure the parts were designed for (15-30psi). If yours doesn’t, consider installing one ASAP. Hold on to your receipt so you can apply for our irrigation efficiency rebate for pressure reduction within 90 days of the purchase or service.

 

Valve Assembly Leaks:

The picture of the left shows a valve box filled with water due to valve assembly leaks and the picture on the right shows a backflow preventer leaking due to an old or broken washer.

When you’re walking the line turn on the system then start at the valve assembly. This is where the whole irrigation system begins. It includes a valve (which is usually inside a valve box under a green or brown plastic cover) and a backflow preventer. The valve opens to turn on the water supply to the irrigation system and you should not see water in the valve box. Leaks often start gradually and they may not be immediately obvious so it’s a good idea to open the lid and look for water in the valve box when you’re doing your monthly system inspection. The valve assembly needs to include a backflow preventor. The backflow preventer is what prevents contaminated water from your landscape from siphoning back into your home’s water supply.

Valve box and backflow preventers.

 

If you are uncertain of whether or not you have a backflow preventer or you can’t locate your valves, you can always reach out to us through our “Ask an Expert” email us at AskAnExpert@abcwua.org

 

Other Water Leak Clues:

Even when your system isn’t running, there are clues you can look out for that can alert you to leaks and broken sprinklers. If you see ponds in your turf or in the street in front of your house, you might have leak.  Other clues to look out for are things like algae growing on the sidewalk, or popped off sprinkler heads lying in the grass.

Another great visible leak clue is sediment flow.  When water flows, it moves soil with it. So, if you see sediment around a sprinkler head like in the picture at right, or flowing across the sidewalk like in the top center, it’s a good sign that there is a leak below the surface.

 

Finally, one of the best clues you have is your water bill.  If you notice an unusual jump in your bill, it’s a good idea to check your irrigation system for leaks. There is also a free online water use tracking tool we offer called HomeConnect, which allows users to view nearly real time data on their water use. With HomeConnect, you can view your water use down to the hour which allows you to familiarize yourself with your daily water use patterns so you can catch abnormal usage before it drives up your water bill. Set your water use thresholds so you can get alerts via email or text if your use goes above a set limit, this can also help avoid property damage at a rental or if you’re out of town.

 

Sprinkler Aim: Check for Efficient Alignment, Proper Throw, Consistency

 

When you’re walking the line on your sprinkler system, check that your heads are spraying water onto the grass not pavement or other areas that don't need water.  If you see overspray, you can usually fix it pretty easily by adjusting the throw radius.  How you do this will depend on the type and brand of sprinkler you have. Some sprinkler nozzles require a special adjustment tool, so if you need one, make sure you have it handy when you walk the line.

 

Now with some grass it’s impossible to avoid overspray, like narrow strips next to pavement like you see here. These are fantastic opportunities for a Desert Friendly Xeriscape Conversion. This rebate gives customers $3 per square foot for transforming their unwanted or inefficient grass to a healthier xeriscape that contains plants, trees, mulch and drip irrigation.

Another important aspect of checking your aim is looking for overflow. If you see water seeping off the grass, that tells you that the water isn’t soaking into the soil anymore, and no more water should be applied. This can usually be fixed by cutting back the time on your irrigation controller. Now if your grass needs more water than what can be applied before it starts running off, you can program your controller to a “cycle and soak” pattern. To determine the run times run your sprinklers until you see water is about to overflow. Then turn the sprinklers off, let it soak in for about half an hour, and run it again to meet your turf irrigation requirements. This is an excellent practice to help your grass develop a healthy and more drought tolerant root system, and it ensures that all of the water you’re paying for is benefiting your grass instead of being wasted in the street (which can result in a fine). Report Water Waste

Another solution for overflow is to replace all your spray nozzles with high efficiency rotating sprinkler nozzles, which we offer a rebate for. These nozzles apply water at a slower rate than traditional nozzles, giving water time to infiltrate to the root zone.

 

You should also make sure your sprinklers haven’t sunk or tilted.  Take a close look and make sure that the outer radius of your sprinkler is throwing to the head of its neighbor what we call head to head coverage.  And make sure that all the sprinkler throw patterns look consistent. The even distribution of water on your turf will help you avoid brown spots and uneven growth.

 

It’s very difficult to grow turf on a hill, the top can receive 2x as much water as the bottom. High efficiency nozzles and cycle and soak can help but, you’ve got another excellent candidate for a Desert Friendly Xeriscape Conversion rebate.

 

 

 

Clogs:

Automatic valves, drip emitter, end cap, basket filter.

 

Clogs in the system can be another cause of water waste. When sediment and debris collect in your system, water doesn’t get to the plants. And what do we tend to do when we see the plants struggle? Turn up the run times. That’s not going to help your plants.

 

If you have a drip system, before you turn it on for your monthly check, take one minute and open the valve box cover, unscrew the filter, which you can see in the picture up top, and clear out any debris you find. If you don’t see a filter, it's a good idea to get one installed. Once you turn the system on, inspect your emitters to make sure water is flowing as it should and clear any clogs that you identify. On the green-topped emitter pictured on the bottom left, this is easily done by rotating the flag and removing it from the main body of the emitter, place your finger over the hole to flush it (if the system is running) and replace the flag. Other types of emitters need to be replaced if clogged. It’s also a good idea to flush your line during your monthly check, which is done by removing the end cap while the system is running. If you don’t have an end cap, they are super easy to install and we recommend installing one to make maintenance easier.

 

To identify clogs in a sprinkler system, look for sputtering sprinklers.  If you look closer and don’t see a cracked nozzle, you probably have a clogged filter basket. To fix this, simply turn off the system, unscrew the nozzle, pull out the basket filter and wash out the debris.

 

 

Controller:

Controller

Our monthly service tip is to click through your controller settings on your timer. With this you’re looking out for a couple of things.

 

First, make sure that your settings haven’t unexpectedly changed as power surges and weather events can disrupt your controller's programming. If you’ve installed a fresh backup battery at the start of the season, which we recommend, you shouldn’t have to worry about a power failure wiping out your programming.

 

Another issue we come across is mystery programming. Controller programming is often not intuitive and sometimes well-intentioned people accidentally program a system to run the same zone multiple times, which ends up wasting water. If you have questions about programming your controller, email AskAnExpert@abcwua.org.

 

Most importantly, check that your controller is set appropriately for the season. You should not be watering the same in October as you were in June. If you need guidance on watering schedules, check out our Water by the Season charts.

Now if making regular adjustments isn’t something you’d realistically do, you can purchase a Smart Controller which will figure it all out for you. These are wifi enabled devices that will calculate how much water your landscape needs based on local weather conditions and make the necessary adjustments for you. We've calculated that if everybody in our service area adjusted their sprinklers for the seasons we would easily meet our water conservation goals. We’ll give you 25% off up to $100 rebate back on your water bill for installing one.

Check out our Irrigation Efficiency Guide.

 

 

Best Practices and Common Mistakes:

A quick note about your mid-summer check. Make sure you’re adjusting for plant growth. If you have a drip system, move your emitters to the edge of the plant’s root ball, or drip line. You want to avoid the situation where the emitter is placing water directly onto the trunk of established trees and plants.

 

With sprinkler systems, maintain the vegetation so it doesn’t interfere with the streams of water. Trim back plants for sprinkler clearance. And when it comes to grass height if the grass is too tall it will block the sprinkler. If it’s too low, your grass doesn't shade its roots and can dry out quickly making it susceptible to drought stress. Aim for grass height between 3-4” Check vegetation around irrigation.

If you suspect you’ve got a problem with your irrigation system and you’d like help troubleshooting it, you can always contact us through “AskanExpert” and we can walk you through it or even come out to your property for an irrigation consultation. We want to help you save water and have a healthy landscape, so please don’t hesitate to reach out!

 

Learn More Here:

 

Irrigation 101 Tutorials

Improving Irrigation Efficiency Can Be Affordable

Drip Irrigation Maintenance Checklist

3 Steps to Landscape Success Webinar

 Irrigation Efficiency Guide

Residential Irrigation Rebates Page

Have a question about the article? Email us at AskanExpert@abcwua.org

Desert Dessert Recipes From Your Garden

Desert Dessert Recipes From Your Garden

by | Jul 31, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Edibles, Home Page

Summer evenings in Albuquerque often end outdoors with a refreshing drink and dessert. We’ve partnered with Edible New Mexico magazine to bring you a selection of lovely recipes made from two fruit trees commonly grown in Albuquerque.

Apple and Pomegranate trees grow well in our area. In fact, a 1926 survey by the New Mexico Manzano Forest Reserve identified an apple tree that is believed to have been planted prior to 1676, which makes New Mexico home to the oldest apple orchard in the United States. Apple production in the state peaked in the 1960s, in the heydey of the Red Delicious variety.

Pomegranate trees are native to the region that stretches from present-day Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India. Through the millennia, they were cultivated to grow in warmer regions of the Mediterranean. Therefore, it makes sense that they perform well in New Mexico. In Albuquerque, Pomegranates benefit from a protected, south-facing location to improve winter survival.

Harvesting time for both of these fruit trees are late summer and fall. Apples are ripe for picking in late August followed by Pomegranates starting in October. Below are some drink and dessert recipes for you to enjoy when these fruits are at their finest this season.

 

DRINKS

Pomegranate and Balsamic Shrub

 

Makes 1 pint

Level: Easy; Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 10 minutes;  Cooling time and steeping time:  A day-1 week.

Shrubs are one of the easiest nonalcoholic cocktail bases to make. They are just fruit, sugar and vinegar in equal parts. They’re endlessly adaptable and a great way to preserve seasonal produce. This version pairs pomegranate with a touch of balsamic for depth and complexity.

Pomegranate and Balsamic Shrub

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate arils (seeds)
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Instructions

  1. In a medium, nonreactive bowl, combine pomegranate arils and sugar; mix until the sugar coats all the fruit. Let the mixture sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
  2. Mash fruit with a wooden spoon to break it up.
  3. Let sit for another hour and stir again. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
  4. Add in vinegar, stir, and let sit, covered, for 1 week at room temperature, making sure to stir the mixture every day. After a week, strain the fruit by pouring through a cheesecloth-lined sieve.

Notes

Storage: Refrigerate shrub syrups. Tightly sealed, they can last for up to 6 months. If opened often, they last 3-6 weeks: taste syrup before using to make sure the flavor is good. Discard immediately if it has mold or any signs of continued fermentation, such as bubbling, cloudiness or sliminess.

For mocktail: Combine 1 1/2 ounces of a shrub with 4 ounces of soda water in a glass with ice.

 

 

Apple and Formosa Oolong and Mocktail

Makes 1 cup of syrup

Level: Easy; Prep time: 15 minutes; Cook time: 25 minutes; Total time: 40 minutes, plus cooling time

This recipe makes use of the inevitable apple waste from making pies, or any other apple recipe for that matter. Simply toss cores in a bag and freeze until ready to use. There is no need to worry about the seeds; cooking the cores eliminates the arsenic toxins.

Formosa oolong is semi-oxidized and falls somewhere between green and black tea. It is an excellent brew for mocktails. Double the sugar in this recipe, and you will have a syrup thick enough for your pancakes and waffles.

 

Apple and Formosa Oolong Syrup and Mocktail

Ingredients

Apple oolong syrup (makes 1 cup)

  • 6 assorted apple cores (8 ounces)
  • 5 black cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • 4 teaspoons Formosa oolong tea leaves
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Mocktail (serves 1)

  • 3/4 ounce lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 ounces apple oolong syrup
  • 3 ounces sparkling water
  • 1 thyme sprig, for garnish

Instructions

Syrup

  1. Put apple cores, cardamom pods, tea leaves, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then continue to boil uncovered, until the liquid reduces by half, about 20 minutes.
  2. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on the softened apple cores with a wooden spoon to release additional liquid.
  3. Pour 1 cup of apple liquid into the saucepan. Add sugar and return the pan to the stove over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves and the liquid gets slightly thicker but still quite pourable, about 5 minutes. Cool and strain into a bottle for storing. Keeps in refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Mocktail

  1. Pour lemon juice and syrup into a shaker and shake. Then pour evenly into a rocks glass with ice. Top with sparkling water and stir gently. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

 

 

 

DESSERTS

Pomegranate Upside-Down Blue Corn Bread

Serves 8


Level: Easy; Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 1 hour, 10 minutes; Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes resting time

This pomegranate upside-down bread is a bit seedy but if you love this fruit, you’re used to that. Butterfly pea flowers take the blue corn bread mix to another level of the cerulean hue. The contrast between the bright red fruit topping and the blue bottom of the corn bread is stunning. Swap in any seasonal fruit for your upside-down top and serve with a light weeknight dinner of calabacitas or alongside other colorful fare on a holiday table.

Pomegranate Upside-Down Blue Corn Bread

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups pomegranate arils (seeds)
  • 3 cups blue corn bread mix
  • 2 teaspoons butterfly pea flower powder
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (or whatever temperature is recommended for your corn bread mix)
  2. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and swirl butter to coat the entire bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then spread pomegranate seeds evenly on top of the sugar. Set aide.
  3. Combine blue corn bread mix, butterfly pea powder, buttermilk, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Spoon corn bread batter over fruit and spread it evenly from edge to edge. Bake for 35 minutes (or whatever time is recommended for your corn bread mix) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  5. Cool for a few minutes. Then run a knife around the edge of the corn bread and place a large plate or platter upside down over the cake pan. Using pot holders to hold the pan to the plate. Flip the plate over and lift off the pan, so the bread comes out upside down on the plate.

Notes

If you want to make this recipe without a prepackaged mix, follow your favorite corn bread recipe using blue cornmeal and adding 2 teaspoons butterfly pea flower powder to the dry ingredients. Follow step 2 for the pomegranate topping.

 

 

Apples Bonne Femme

Serves 6, Level and prep time

This recipe was first appearing in Auguste Escoffier’s Le Guide Culinaire, pommes bonne femme showcases the apple with the simplest of French methods. This version is adapted from Jacques Pépin’s recipe in Essential Pépin. Choose apples that can hold up during baking; dense, thicker-skinned varieties such as Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious work well.

Apples Bonne Femme

Ingredients

  • 6 large apples (2 pounds)
  • 1/2 cup apricot jam or preserves
  • 1/2 cup light maple syrup
  • 6 teaspoons unsalted butter
  • 6 teaspoons light brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons chopped nuts (optional)
  • 6 1 inch-thick slices dry (day old) baquette
  • Cinnamon or nutmeg
  • Mint, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Rinse and dry apples.
  2. Core apples, taking care to remove all pith and seeds. Cut about 1/4 inch off the bottom of each apple so it can stand upright on the baguette silce while cooking.
  3. Score apples about one-third of the way down, cutting through skin (no more than 1/4 inch deep) and drawing the incision all the way around. As the apples cook, the flesh will explode and the part above this cut will rise, almost like the cap of a mushroom.
  4. Arrange baguette slices in a gratin dish or baking dish that can second as a tabletop serving dish. Place an apple on top of each baguette slice.
  5. Place one teaspoon butter and one teaspoon brown sugar in the cored hole of each apple. Mix together apricot jam and maple syrup and pour into cored hole, allowing mixture to spill over and coat the apples. Sprinkler one tablespoon chopped nuts and a pinch of cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg over each apple.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes.
  7. Baste apples and cook for another 30 minutes.
  8. Spoon some of the juice from the baking dish over the apples and let cool to lukewarm before serving. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
  9. Serve as is, or celebrate your apple creation by adding whipped cream, creme fraiche, or ice cream.

 

 

Learn More Here:

Fruit Tree for the Homeowner

Subtropical Fruit Trees for the High Desert: Pomegranates and Figs

How Much Water to Provide to Fruit and Vegetables to Get a Significant Yield

Tree Irrigation Webinar

 

 

505Outside.com in coordination with Edible New Mexico magazine https://www.ediblenm.com/. Have a question about the article or anything else? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org

Keeping Cool This Summer While Saving Water

Keeping Cool This Summer While Saving Water

by | Jul 2, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Maintenance, Outdoor Living, Summer, Water Conservation

Over 40% of Albuquerque homeowners use evaporative coolers, while the rest use some type of refrigerated air system. Today’s evaporative coolers (also known as swamp coolers) provide a practical, energy-efficient way to cool air in the low humidity climates found throughout New Mexico. Evaporative cooling isn’t a new concept. In fact, it’s the oldest known method of cooling hot, summer air to make living spaces more comfortable. Ancient Egyptians hung wet material so the wind could blow through it to create a cooling effect. In an evaporative cooler, warm air is cooled as it passes through porous pads that are kept moist by water dripping on their upper edges. A blower wheel pulls outside air through the wet pad, and the cool, humidified air is then circulated through the house. In the process of cooling the air, evaporative coolers provide an additional benefit of removing dust and pollen that can cause allergies and asthma attacks.

 

Evaporative coolers are very effective, particularly when the relative humidity (the moisture content of the air) is low. An evaporative cooler works best during the hottest time of the day, because relative humidity drops quickly as temperature increases. Studies show that a typical evaporative cooler uses only about one-third the energy of a refrigerated air conditioner,

 

The big question is how much water do swamp coolers use? Water requirements for an evaporative cooler will vary with the size of the house, its orientation toward the sun, window area, type of landscaping, proximity to hard surfaces and other structures, temperature preferences of the occupants, local climate, how many hours the cooler runs, and water quality.

 

In an average weather year, a 1,500-square-foot home in Albuquerque might use 7,250 gallons (based on the evaporative cooler running 1,130 hours). In an unusually warm year, these water requirements would be significantly higher. Virtually all models of evaporative coolers now available recirculate the water that drips from the pads, resulting in an efficient use of water. (Older, less water-efficient evaporative coolers might not have a pan to catch and recirculate water. If so, excess water shall be directed to plant material. Or replace the old cooler with a recirculating one.)

 

Some coolers have a “bleed-off valve” to drain a portion of the recirculating water to prevent excessive mineral buildup on the porous pads. Bleed-off water can increase overall evaporative cooler water use by 50% or more, which could increase total evaporative cooler water use to 11,000 gallons in Albuquerque. A more water efficient alternative to continual bleed-off is a “dump pump,” which empties the cooler pan at regular intervals to reduce mineral buildup.

 

 

Waterwise Tips for Evaporative Coolers

  • Instead of turning on your cooler when it’s 79 degrees outside, wait until it is 85 degrees. Your cooler will use 50% less water.
  • Turn on the water pump a few minutes before turning on the fan to give the cooler pads a chance to become saturated.
  • Open a window 1-2 inches in the rooms you want to cool. This will draw cool air into the rooms and give warm air a chance to escape.
  • In the evenings or when it’s not quite so hot outside, run your cooler fan without running the water pump. You’ll get nice, cooling airflow without using any water at all!
  • Also run just the fan on rainy and high humidity days when your evaporative cooler is significantly less efficient.
  • To keep your cooler from wasting water, check it for leaks monthly during the summer season. Take a look at its filters, pads, pump and reservoir. Replace your cooler pads at least once every summer, preferably twice — or aim to clean them with soap and water.
  • Install a digital thermostat. Digital thermostats allow you to use much less water than you would otherwise because once your home gets to your desired temperature, it will automatically shut off.

 

Additional tips to keep your home cool, harvest water and reduce energy use

  • Direct any water from a refrigerated air conditioner or mini split condenser toward plants.
  • Servicing your refrigerated air conditioner by performing general maintenance such as replacing or cleaning air filters can lower energy consumption by up to 15%. Add a calendar reminder for the first day of spring to check your air conditioner’s evaporator coil. This should be cleaned annually to ensure the system is performing optimally.
  • Cooling your home with ceiling fans will allow you to comfortably raise your thermostat about 4 degrees. In the summer, fans should turn counterclockwise so air pushes downward, circulating the cooler air in the room and making the home feel cooler. Make sure to turn off ceiling fans when house is empty.
  • Window treatments or coverings such as blinds, shades and films can help reduce the heat when temperatures rise. Close blinds and curtains on the East, West and South sides when nobody is home to keep the sun from heating up the house.
  • Air loss through ducts can lead to high energy costs, accounting for nearly 30% of a cooling system’s energy consumption. By sealing and insulating your ducts, you can lower your energy bills.
  • Avoid using heat-producing appliances like clothes dryers, dishwashers, stoves and ovens during the hottest part of the day. Use your grill for cooking and hang dry your clothes.

 

 

Learn more by checking out these other useful articles:

PNM Evaporative Cooling Rebates

Designing Shade the Right Way

The Benefit of Trees

City of Albuquerque Energy Efficiency Programs

 

Information courtesy of the Water Use and Conservation Bureau, New Mexico Office of the State Engineer. Additional tips courtesy of PNM. Have a question about the article or anything else? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org

Living with Mosquitos

Living with Mosquitos

by | Jun 30, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Outdoor Living, Pollinators and Wildlife, Rainwater Harvesting, Spring, Summer, Watering and Irrigation

Mosquitoes have been so very prominent here in the Albuquerque area over the last five years, and we’ve been learning a lot about how to live with them in our yards. Fortunately, Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque have been studying mosquito lifecycles, treatment and abatement for years.

There are three types of mosquitoes found in our area, including the Aedes vexans (floodwater mosquito) and the Culex quinquefasciatus (southern house mosquito). Additionally, the Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) has become firmly established in the Albuquerque area in recent years.

All these species are well adapted to the local environment, but they differ significantly in behavior, feeding habits and the types of risks they pose. Southern house mosquitoes primarily feed on birds but will bite humans and domestic animals. They are active at night and during dawn and dusk.

Floodwater mosquitoes prefer to host on humans, livestock and pets. They are highly aggressive and notorious for biting during the evening and nighttime hours. Floodwater mosquitoes are a nuisance because of their painful and frequent bites but not commonly associated with disease.

Floodwater Mosquito

Yellow fever mosquitoes are specifically human-focused biters that actively hunt during the daytime. They are easily recognized by the distinct white, violin-shaped markings on their back and striped bands on their legs. They are the primary transmitters of critical mosquito-borne diseases, such as Zika, dengue fever and yellow fever. These diseases have not been found in the greater Albuquerque area and City-County prevention is underway to keep it that way. To learn more about the yellow fever mosquito, check out this useful flyer.

Yellow Fever Mosquito

Local mosquito control is conducted as a combined city-county effort. Mosquitoes are controlled at all life stages through a variety of methods, following the principles of integrated pest management. The goal is effective and efficient control designed to minimize the amount of pesticide released in the environment and to prevent pesticide resistance. Protecting public health and ensuring that outdoor activities can be enjoyed safely and comfortably is the City-County partnerships underlying mission.

Albuquerque and Bernalillo County residents can report mosquito issues by calling 311.

Residents who don't wish to have their property sprayed can register on the No-Spray List by calling 311.

The most important things you can do are reducing mosquito breeding habitat and preventing mosquito bites as per City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department.

 

What you can do

Prevent mosquito breeding on your property

  • Dump standing water found in trays beneath potted plants; used tires; trash, discarded buckets and other containers; children’s toys; and other places.
  • Store containers that could hold water upside down.
  • Keep your property uncluttered ­— mosquitoes can breed in the smallest pools of water even as small as a bottle cap.
  • Clean pet water dishes regularly by emptying, scrubbing and replacing the water.
  • Replace bird bath water regularly.
  • Cover rain barrels with a fine mesh and treat with mosquito dunks. Mosquito dunks contain bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti). Bti is a naturally occurring bacterium found in soils. It contains spores that produce toxins that specifically target the larvae of the mosquito. Bti has no toxicity to people and is approved for pest control in organic farming operations. It has been well tested and based on the studies EPA has concluded that Bti does not pose a risk to humans. The Bti mosquito dunks are sold at hardware, home improvement, and feed supply stores. They can be placed in standing water, and the bacteria will kill mosquito larvae.
  • Treat pools with chlorine. If not in use, keep empty or treat with mosquito dunks
  • Reduce moist collection areas in your grass lawn as mosquitos like to bread in these small moist spaces. Aim to space your sprinkler watering out so the wet areas dry up between irrigation days.
  • Add mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, to ponds and small water features (available free from the City of Albuquerque by calling 311).
  • Check flat roofs for pockets of water in shaded areas and clogged rain gutters.

 

Prevent mosquitoes from entering your home

  • Keep door and window screens in good condition.
  • Check window screens and doors for holes and repair any holes with sticky screen tape.

 

Protect yourself when outdoors

 

Report standing water and high adult populations to 311

 

Other home strategies

  • Set out mosquito traps to reduce the number of mosquitoes in your yard or home. BG-sentinel traps use dry ice (which can be bought at a grocery store) and/or a scent bait to attract mosquitoes and are very effective. The City uses BG-Sentinel traps when conducting mosquito surveillance. Ovitraps can be used to attract females that are ready to lay their eggs. It is important to maintain ovitraps by adding a mosquito dunk or they will become breeding habitat.
  • Repel mosquitoes with smell: Mosquitoes rely heavily on their sense of smell to locate their next meal. They are attracted to certain odors, such as carbon dioxide from our breath and lactic acid from our skin. Mosquitoes hate strong, pungent and herbaceous scents that mask the carbon dioxide and lactic acid humans emit. These can be distributed as sprays, diffused as essential oils or the plants can be crushed and rubbed onto your skin for a natural repellent. The smells they don’t like include:
    • Lemon eucalyptus: Approved by CDC and World Health Organization, it is recognized as one of the most effective natural deterrents. It contains PMD(p-menthane-3,8-diol) which is extracted from the leaves of a lemon eucalyptus tree. This scent is known to block mosquitoes from detecting you.
    • Citronella: The classic lemon-grass scent disrupts a mosquito's ability to find hosts.
    • Peppermint and menthol: The intense smell of mint can overpower their sensory receptors.
    • Lavender: Contains compounds like linalool that deter pests.
    • Citrus: Citrus smells, such as those from lemons, oranges and grapefruits, are highly effective at repelling mosquitoes. You could place citrus peels in strategic locations to deter mosquitoes from coming too close.
    • Rosemary: Rosemary is another herb that mosquitoes dislike. Plant rosemary bushes near outdoor seating areas then crush the leaves to release the smells and oils.
    • Basil: Crush fresh basil leaves to release their scent.
    • Garlic: Create a garlic spray by mixing crushed garlic cloves with water.
    • Lemon balm: Rub crushed lemon balm leaves on your skin for added protection.
    • Catnip: Catnip contains a compound called nepetalactone, which is highly effective at repelling mosquitoes. Plant catnip in pots or in your garden or crush the leaves and rub them on your skin for a natural repellent.
  • Create DIY sprays: One of the easiest ways to use essential oils for mosquito control is by creating a DIY spray.
    • Combine:
    • 2 ounces of distilled water
    • 1.5 ounces of witch hazel
    • 30-40 drops of essential oils (Mix and match based on your preferences; effective options include citronella, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass and tea tree.)
    • Repel mosquitos with smoke: Incense sticks and smudge sticks have been used around town by local restaurants and in yards with some success.
    • Repel mosquitos with a fan. The breeze of an outdoor fan can make it harder to trace the scents and harder for them to fly near the fan.
    • Schedule a yard audit: According to a recent KRQE interview with City of Albuquerque Urban Biology Division Manager Nick Pederson, the city can help residents reduce mosquitoes on private property by performing an inspection. “We like to offer what we call a yard audit or a yard inspection where we’ll come out and actually look at a person’s yard with them and see if we can identify possible sources of mosquito issues,” Pederson said, explaining that these inspections can be requested by contacting 311.

     

    Resources and Photography for this article:

     

    https://www.krqe.com/news/community/dealing-with-mosquitoes-the-city-of-albuquerque-will-give-you-free-fish-to-help/

    https://kentuckypest.com/blog/smells-mosquitoes-hate

    https://www.cabq.gov/environmentalhealth/urban-biology/mosquitoes/what-you-can-do

    https://www.cabq.gov/environmentalhealth/urban-biology/pest-management/integrated-pest-management

    https://www.bernco.gov/planning/consumer-health-protection/mosquito-control/

    https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/bti-mosquito-control##1

     

    Learn More Here:

     

    How to DIY a Mosquito bucket trap

    Yellow Mosquito Flyer

    City Of Albuquerque Mosquito Tips

     

     

    Have a question about the article or anything else? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org

    Set up a hose irrigation system for great benefits at a reduced cost

    Set up a hose irrigation system for great benefits at a reduced cost

    by | Jun 1, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Watering and Irrigation

    Set up a hose irrigation system for great benefits at a reduced cost

    The most efficient way to water your yard is by using an automatic irrigation system with underground valves. Hand watering can be problematic because it can lead to inconsistent watering, causing you to overwater, underwater or forget to water altogether.

    However, these systems can be expensive to install, with costs sometimes ranging from $800 to $2,000, depending on the number of valves. If you are ready to install a more efficient irrigation system but aren’t ready for the cost of an inground system, consider starting with a hose timer system that can be easily converted to an inground system later on.

    A hose timer system is an inexpensive way to get your plants on automatic irrigation, allowing you to water your yard on a specific day of the week, time of the day and for a set number of minutes. You can put it together yourself for under $100.

    The hose timer attaches to high-quality irrigation ¾” Polyline with drip emitters or professional landscape dripline. The dripline can stay in the ground year-round and be later connected to future valves of an automatic in-ground irrigation system.

    There are a variety of products you can use, including smart controllers, easy twist-and-turn controllers, multi-valve controllers, and more. We offer a rebate on ones that adjust to our weather and your plants’ water needs (referred to as ‘smart controllers’).

    Check out our how-to installation video to learn how to get started.

    Learn more by checking out these other useful irrigation articles:

    Yes, You Can Afford an Irrigation System

    Best Practices for Watering Your Plants With a Hose or Drip System.

    Use Drip Irrigation for Your Trees and Shrubs

    How to Build a Hose Irrigation System for Trees

    Author: Have a question about the article or anything else? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org