Written by Ken Hedler
Lush lawns add to the attractiveness of homes and neighborhoods and likely increase property values. However, lawns come with a price: higher water use and bills. Individual homeowners and homeowner associations with common greens and businesses can learn how to reduce waste and cut water bills by taking advantage of the Washington County Water Conservancy District free water checks offered from mid-May through September.
Rene Fleming, the conservation coordinator for the City of St. George’s water and energy departments, told The Independent that lawns are still the traditional landscaping feature in St. George. Outdoor water use—primarily lawns—accounts for 60 percent of water consumption of a typical single-family home. Fleming cited statistics that show most homeowners use twice as much water as their lawns need. Water use varies according to the size of a home, but few homes within St. George use more than 25,000 gallons per month.
Karry Rathje, the public information manager for the Washington County Water Conservancy District, said they have conducted 1,000 water checks since the program began 10 years ago and that on average, they see a reduction in water use on these properties by approximately 25 to 30 percent.
“We see an increase [in water checks] every year as the population grows and there is more awareness of the program,” Rathje said.
Fleming said that in order to perform a check, employees for the district place catch cups in a grid pattern within a specific irrigation zone outside a home to determine how much water goes on the lawn and how evenly the irrigation system is working. They turn on the irrigation system and let the water run for six minutes.
“We never fill up in six minutes,” Fleming said. “You have to have a geyser going.”
Fleming said that generally speaking, people do not have enough sprinkler heads to get a good, even distribution of water on their lawns.
“What happens is puddles will form where distribution is uneven or has a really dry spot,” Fleming said. “Most people will water for the area that is driest. They could water less if they improve irrigation.”
Fleming said the employees check water pressure on the sprinkler heads and that adjusting the water pressure also reduces evaporation. They poke a metal probe roughly the size of a plunger handle approximately 14 inches into the soil to measure moisture and soil types.
The whole process takes about 45 minutes to an hour. Once the employees finish a water check, they provide an irrigation schedule to help homeowners reduce water waste.
The Independent went along with Washington County Water Conservancy District employees Melissa Cram and Colton McLaughin, both of Hurricane, to conduct a water check on May 19 at the residence of Jackie and Dean Bogedahl in the Washington Fields area of Washington City. Cram, an incoming sophomore majoring in biology at Southern Utah University, held a clipboard while McLaughlin, an incoming sophomore majoring in art at Dixie State University, picked up the cups on the lawn.
“It is just nice being outside,” a barefoot McLaughin said. “We help people save money.”
Saving money was apparently a big part of the motivation for the Bogedahls, empty nesters who moved to Washington City from Torrey in October.
“We are new to the area, and we decided it would be good to find out how much we should be watering,” said Jackie Bogedahl, a retired legal technician for the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Salt Lake City.
She said she made a request for the water check a week earlier.
For more information about the program and to schedule an appointment, call Rene Fleming at (435) 627-4848 or Julie Gillins at (435) 673-3617.
Ken Hedler is a freelance writer who is based in St. George. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @KeninDixie2014.
