Stage 3 Water Restrictions Looming for San Antonio

While San Antonio is currently under stage 2 drought restrictions, it is very likely we will get to stage 3 soon.

In stage 3, watering is limited to one day every other week for all irrigation systems, sprinklers and soaker hoses.  This will have a significant negative impact on your landscaping if you currently rely on a traditional irrigation system.

However drip irrigation will be allowed Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays during the restricted week as well as hand watering will be allowed every day.

Preferred Landscape and Lighting is one of the leading irrigation professionals who has been recommending and installing drip irrigation for years.  We recommend all new landscape beds be equipped with drip irrigation because it is better for the health of the plants and saves a significant amount of water.  If you would like our help to help you convert your irrigation system to drip, give us a call at 210-657-7737.

Which grass has drip irrigation under the turf?

Its not a trick question!  With the drought we are experiencing, brown grass is a reality for most homeowners.  However, if you have drip irrigation, you can water more efficiently and more often during water restrictions. Here is a picture of a customers home where we installed drip irrigation under the turf as well as a section of his neighbor's yard without drip irrigation.  Wow - what a difference!

Stage 2 Water Restrictions

Despite the rain we had this past winter, the Edwards Aquifer is falling very fast this spring forcing San Antonio into Stage 2 water restrictions already.

  

"Dry spring weather combined with increased water demands across the Edwards region, especially agricultural use, have caused the Edwards Aquifer level to drop quickly," said Robert R. Puente, SAWS President/CEO. "The Edwards Aquifer is hitting the Stage Two level a month earlier than it did last year during the driest year on record."

  

Unfortunately, stage 3 water restrictions are a real possibility this summer which only allows landscape watering once every other week.   It is time to get ready for another rough summer with drought conditions and water restrictions all summer long.  For more details on the water restrictions, visit http://www.saws.org/.

Time to update your irrigation schedule

Do you still have your irrigation schedule set the same as it was this summer?   As the temperatures cool off, your landscape doesn't require the same amount of watering as it did at the peak of the summer.  In fact, Preferred recommend's adjusting your settings monthly for the most efficient irrigation.

The following is a chart we use as guidelines for sprinkler adjustments:
 

Seasonal Adjust*
23%	January
31%	February
55%	March
68%	April
66%	May
80%	June
100%	July
97%	August
61%	September
40%	October
26%	November
21%	December

*Monthly Seasonal Adjustments based on 60% effective rainfall

Another note on irrigation, despite the wonderful wet weather we had the last few weeks, San Antonio is still under Stage 2 water restrictions.  The following chart is from http://www.saws.org/:

Landscape Watering Watering with an irrigation system or sprinkler is allowed only once a week from 3-8 a.m. and 8-10 p.m. on your designated watering day as determined by your address:
Last Digit of Street Address	Watering Day
0 or 1	Monday
2 or 3	Tuesday
4 or 5	Wednesday
6 or 7	Thursday
8 or 9	Friday
No watering on weekends with a sprinkler, soaker hose or irrigation system. Areas without a street address, such as medians and neighborhood entryways, water on Wednesday.

Its Raining, Its Pouring...

What a wonderful sight it was to wake up and see rain drops falling this morning!    Don't you wish you could save some of that rain water we received and use it in a few weeks when our landscape will need it again?

A water catchment system is an excellent way to collect rainwater and save it to use on our landscape.  It allows more flexibility to water when we find ourselves in a drought situaton.  Even though San Antonio doesn't get much rain, if you have a correctly designed system it would provide a nice supplemental supply even on the small amounts of rain we receive annually.  Last night, San Antonio received at least one inch of rainfall and one inch can produce about 600 gallons with a 1,000 sq. ft. roof.

If you would like to learn more about a water catchment system, Preferred Landscape and Lighting would be happy to explain the options.  Does anybody have one installed already?  Any advice?

Tip #3: Drip, Drip, Drip

Drip Irrigation is the best way to water your planting beds as it is much more efficient than traditional irrigation.  As much as 60% of the water used by traditional spray and rotor irrigation is lost to evaporation and never makes it to your thirsty plants.  Drip irrigation, however, is a much more effective delivery system that puts water directly onto the root zones of the plants.  When the drip tubing is properly covered with mulch, almost none of the water is lost to evaporation. 

Water authorities encourage the use of drip irrigation through policy because it is so much more effiecient.  The water restrictions allow more frequent watering with drip irrigation compared to traditional irrigation.  Also, many water authorities offer financial incentives through the form of rebates for converting traditional irrigation zones to drip. 

Preferred Landscape and Lighting promotes drip irrigation on any new planting bed installation.  Do you have drip irrigation?  How does it work for you?