June Sprinkler System Tips
Watering restrictions, watering restrictions, watering restrictions! That is the talk for the summer. Water is vital to our survival as a species, so it should be taken seriously. Watering restrictions are not implemented willy-nilly. Research, calculations and professional expertise are all used when determining what watering restrictions need to be implemented and for what duration.
Most of our service area is in a situation where they can only water once every two weeks (see below under June Watering Restrictions). It is imperative that when your time to water finally comes around that your sprinkler system is functioning at its optimum capability. That is where the System Check comes in.
If you are a handy homeowner, you do not necessarily need to have a professional conduct a system check; however, depending on what is discovered, you may wish to contact a Licensed Irrigator to conduct any of the repairs that are outside of your comfort zone and/or abilities. Please keep in mind, it is state law that anyone working on a sprinkler system that is not their own, that they must be licensed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). This is very important to know if you are working on a neighbor’s sprinkler system, and vice versa.
The System Check
- You can do a simple check of your sprinkler system by turning on a single station at a time. It is a good idea to check your sprinkler system on a monthly basis.
- The majority of newer controller models have a test function that you can use to check the sprinkler system. Most are preset to run for two minutes per station.
- Simply walk through the property as each station runs and look for geysers or low pressure areas.
- If there is a station that has very low pressure and the spray heads are not popping up completely, this could indicate that there is a leak. The leak is robbing the pressure to adequately run the station properly.
- When checking stations such as flower beds, it is important to check the shrub risers against the house to verify that the risers are not misadjusted and spraying water onto the wall, or more importantly, window frames.
- There are literally hundreds of connections on a lawn sprinkler system that can spring a leak at anytime.
- Keep in mind that there are irrigation supply lines running throughout the yard, typically in the front yard and back yard. These lines can leak even with the controller turned off.
- A main line leak can usually be found by walking around the house and looking for any soggy spots.
June Watering Restrictions
At the end of May, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) announced that they would extend Stage 3 watering restrictions, watering once every two weeks, through the end of the summer, to all residents of Plano.
If you have any questions regarding watering schedules and what is or is not permitted, please visit your city’s website or give us a call. We’d be more than happy to help you out!
