Do It Yourself Too Much Water Page

HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE USING
TOO MUCH WATER FOR IRRIGATION

Excessive use of water, or increases in your normal water usage can sometimes be an indication of irrigation problems. Over watering, inappropriate scheduling, malfunctioning equipment, broken water lines and missing heads or nozzles can all lead to an unnecessary overuse of water.

Grab some landscape flags and use this easy check list to help determine if the sprinkler system may be the culprit:

1. Check the Watering Program in the Irrigation Controller. Every standard controller (or timer) will denote how much time is set on each station and how many start times the sprinklers are set to run as well as how many days the controller is set to run a week. Check these setting to insure that your system is not running too long nor too often.

2. Walk around the yard, look for "wet spots" where water is collecting. If you see signs of excessive dampness in low areas it may have been caused by seepage or over-watering. (Refer to your controller to rule out over-watering). Place flags to mark the wet areas.

3. Operate the system, look for geysers, or water boiling out from under heads that could be broken off below the ground. If you see water features you didn’t know you had or holes that could be caused by water bubbling up from the sprinkler lines beneath the ground, note the station or zone. Place a flag at the location of the geyser or noted spot. At the controller, turn off the time for watering of that zone. Repairs are needed.

4. Walk around the yard, look for erosion or water run-off areas. If you see any signs of erosion or “river-ettes” that could be caused by a broken pipe, check further. Turn off your sprinkler system at the control panel for a couple of days to see if this corrects the problem. If the problem persists, turn off the water at the sprinkler water supply. If the leak is in your lawn sprinkler system, the area should dry within a couple of days, if it doesn’t, repairs are needed.