 Your
Grass Can Be Greener
Water-Efficient Landscapes Start with Certified Irrigation Professionals
WaterSense, a program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, is dedicated to improving national water efficiency. This
voluntary, public-private partnership program seeks to help homeowners
and businesses improve water efficiency and reduce costs by promoting
efficient irrigation technologies, as well as water-efficient products
for the home and garden.
Having a beautiful landscape doesn’t have to mean wasting
water or money. WaterSense aims to take some of the guesswork out
of watering your yard by making it easy to find water-efficient
technologies and services. As part of this goal, WaterSense
recognizes professional certification programs that advance water-efficient
irrigation techniques and practices.
WaterSense makes it easy to find water-efficient products and services.
If you’re looking for an irrigation system designer, installation/maintenance
specialist, and or auditor for your landscape watering system,
ask if he or she is a WaterSense partner, to ensure he or she has
received instruction and testing on water-efficient techniques and
practices.
Individuals who have successfully completed WaterSense labeled
certification programs must demonstrate professional competency
in water-efficient irrigation practices. WaterSense labeled certification
programs:
- Verify professional proficiency in water-efficient irrigation
system design, performance audits, and installation and maintenance.
- Test designers, installation/maintenance professionals, and/or
auditors on their water efficiency knowledge through examinations.
- Certify only experienced irrigation system designers and installation/
maintenance professionals.
- Require independent oversight.
- Require that professionals periodically renew their certification
to demonstrate awareness of recent technology and innovations.
Consulting an irrigation professional certified through a WaterSense
labeled program can save water, time, and money. Ask your irrigation
professional about the types of water-saving technology, such as
weather-based irrigation controllers and moisture sensors, available
for your outdoor watering system. Even more important, conducting
regular checks and maintenance of your system will ensure ongoing
water efficiency. A certified irrigation professional with proven
knowledge of water-efficient technologies and practices can help
you design, test, and maintain an effective watering system for
your yard and garden.
Don’t let an inefficient irrigation system control your water
bill!
Did you know that 30 percent of the water used by the average American
household is devoted to outdoor water use? And in some parts of
the country, homeowners use as much as 70 percent of their water
outdoors. Some experts estimate that more than 50 percent of landscape
water use goes to waste due to evaporation or runoff caused by overwatering!
Following are some simple tips for homeowners to reduce their outdoor
water use dramatically:
- Using weather-based irrigation scheduling on a moderate-sized
yard can save up to 37 gallons of water per day.
- The best time to water your yard is early morning, when winds
are calm and temperatures are cool.
- Grass doesn’t need to be watered every day; make sure your
lawn really needs it before irrigating. If you can stick a screwdriver
into your lawn easily—don’t water!
- Irrigation system maintenance varies depending on the system,
but it is always a good idea to inspect your system monthly to
prevent leaks, broken or clogged heads, and other problems.
- Using native plants that are adapted to your climate and require
less watering can reduce outdoor water use by 20 to 50 percent.
This document is also available in PDF
(4 pp, 639K, About PDF).
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