Limited Supply

Water doesn’t just run out. It flows from kitchen taps, sprays from sprinkler systems, runs from hoses and fills rivers, lakes and oceans. Plenty to go around, enough to last a lifetime, right?

Or, perhaps water is the resource most taken for granted. After a dry summer and a mild winter, many regions are thirsty and rainfall isn’t quenching the need for precipitation. “We have a shortage on water and one of the highest demands we’ve ever had,” reported Kurt Hall, owner and consultant, Water Management Specialists, Houston, Texas. “Water is becoming a commodity.”

This warning might surprise landscape contractors who haven’t dealt with regulations or even low-level restrictions. For a resource that never seems to run out, they might challenge, “What’s the worry?”

Ask the state of California, where conservation is a constant hot-button, or Florida, where the state began to explore ideas for more efficient use. Or, consider the New England states and parts of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania that reportedly declared drought emergency with mandatory water restrictions, according to a February ABCNews.com update. Droughts have been confirmed in parts of 15 states from Georgia to Maine and 14 states in the Midwest and West, the report identified.

More regions realize the time is now to set water use parameters, and landscape contractors need to design and install efficient irrigation systems, educate clients on water conservation and, in general, explore some “little things” that can make big differences, Hall recommended.

“If we don’t manage the water effectively, we’re flat going to run out,” he predicted. “We are consuming at a rate in which a lot of our smaller cities can’t keep up with the demand that irrigation systems put on them.”

PUSHING LIMITS. States – and specific regions, for that matter – have constructed webs of red tape to tie knots in water overuse. Depending on the region, legislation regarding acceptable watering practices might be lenient and virtually non-existent, or restraining and specific. Drought-suffering states lean toward the latter.

“The most common water restriction is when municipalities restrict the days of the weeks that you can water,” explained Todd Hayden, president, Raindance Irrigation & Lighting, Mundelein, Ill.

In his area, environmental conditions determine restrictions. “They aren’t automatic,” he clarified. “If it is a dry spring or summer, then the towns will enforce them. But if we have a year where the weather gives us the normal precipitation and the water reserves are adequate, they won’t enforce them.”

In Texas, irrigation constitutes nearly 65 percent of water consumption from May through September, Hall reported. “If that was managed, the number would drop drastically,” he figured.

Some states approach the issue from a restriction standpoint, others choose licensing. In Illinois, only licensed plumbers can install a certain irrigation system hookup, Hayden noted. In San Antonio, Texas, a licensed irrigation contractor must approve designs, Hall added. And in Denver, Colo., Scott Schell said his company, Swingle Tree, deals with municipal suggestions that are enforced during dry times.

This practice is common, and many cities impose restrictions based on weather conditions, Hall pointed out. While states subscribe to a variety of water conservation methods, regions within states also adopt various action plans as environmental conditions can fluctuate even within county lines, Hall reminded. “The state of Texas is broken down into four zones based on climactic conditions because the further west you go, the more dry it is,” he said. “By law, they have determined the minimum amount of efficiency the irrigation system should put out based on the evapotranspiration rate.”

This figure can help contractors determine if their systems are water-friendly – and if they are wasting the precious commodity. Contractors should check evapotranspiration (ET) rates for plants they install to determine their water needs. Then, they should adjust systems to accommodate this amount.

“Evapotranspiration rate is basically a monthly format,” Hall explained. “In the eastern part of Texas, it is 0.25, and if you multiply that by 30 it will give you the amount of water the plant will need in July, which is the highest water-consuming month in the year.” Conservation balances landscape requirements with supply, an equilibrium contractors must approach carefully, especially as housing starts remain healthy and suburban subdivisions insist that their residents install irrigation systems, Hall observed. “You take a look at the billboards advertising homes in the million-dollar range and, of course, they will be irrigated,” he said.

CURBING USE. Contractors might be in tune with local regulations, but most clients aren’t losing sleep over the depleting water source. Convenience and the promise of a green lawn sells irrigation services, and Schell said only about 20 percent of his accounts express genuine concern about water consumption.

“There is a growing awareness, but I’m not sure that it’s the people truly consuming the water [who are worried],” he said. “I know I’m aware of water regulations because I’m in the industry and it’s a big issue with us.” Educating clients on water awareness sparks more urgency for the issue. Simply explaining an irrigation system and how to adjust its schedule gives customers the control to save water. Many of them do not understand how the timers function, so they can’t change the percentages even if they realize their lawn is being overwatered, Schell said.

Not adjusting systems wastes water, especially in the fall when most controllers are still set for dry summer watering times, he added. “When we set up the mid-summer checks, our idea behind them was to adjust the controllers that were not watering enough,” he said. “We were also adjusting controllers that were overwatering and we would find systems where two or three zones were overwatering areas, so we could adjust them down. It was an efficiency check.”

However, the last summer check ultimately saves resources, as output is minimized for winter months, Schell pointed out. These “little things” add up to water savings, and if contractors put these basics into practice when designing and installing irrigation systems, planning plant beds and treating lawns, regulations won’t seem so rigorous, he noted.

First, irrigation contractors should consider efficient designs, grouping together plants with similar irrigation needs and arranging spray heads based on the microclimates of the site, Hayden suggested. “If the system is laid out and designed properly, you will give more water to a sunny area of the yard than a shady area,” he noted. Design also includes pressure and uniformity of the spray, added Reid Nelson, marketing and product manager, Nelson Irrigation, Walla Walla, Wash. “If you’re dealing with fluctuating pressure or slopes, make sure each sprinkler head is delivering the right amount of water,” he advised.

While tweaking these variables to ensure an even, consistent spray, contractors should also consider system set-up, minding the sprinkler streams on each zone. System accuracy also minimizes water waste, Nelson added. In other words, avoid watering at noon when temperatures are climbing the thermometer, or during blustering winds when droplets travel to the neighbor’s lawn. Also, rain sensors – a simple system addition – are another tool to keep from watering at inopportune times, and planting native grasses often cuts out some water use.

In addition, soil additives such as wetting agents, surfactants and penetrants help manage soil moisture, lessening the workload on irrigation systems, added Rick Irwin, president, Ecologel USA, Ocala, Fla. Since dry ground can repel moisture, additives can enhance water absorption. “Wetting agents are a good way to guarantee that water gets into the soil,” he recommended. “Their function is to make water wetter. It’s similar to dishwashing detergent, which makes water wetter to remove grease from pans.”

Taking advantage of some soil technologies might reduce the need for irrigation, he said. “Contractors are beginning to understand the value of these products, especially since they are put under water restrictions,” he noticed. “If they are under water restrictions that prevent them from watering as often as they’d like, they need to look at tools to protect them.”

COUNTING PENNIES. Conservation doesn’t sell – cost does. “If you tell clients the system will conserve water, they’ll say, ‘That’s wonderful, but how much will it cost me,’” Hall remarked. “But, if you tell them it will save them X dollars in X months they’ll say, ‘Goodness, let’s set up two of them.’”

Some states approach conservation from the earth-friendly angle, but money motivates in most regions. And often, the conservative road isn’t the least expensive route. Hall compared it to purchasing an economical car. “The more fuel-efficient the vehicle is, the higher the acquisition cost is up front because of what it takes to make the vehicle efficient,” he remarked. “But once you spend the money, you reap the benefits.”

Sometimes, spreading this message to clients challenges contractors. How do you sell a system to price-hunting customers when the initial cost is a little more? Some seem blind to the “savings down the road” pitch. But, as Hayden pointed out, irrigation is generally an indulgence. “I think that it’s important that we sell the quality design and installation as No. 1 for our customer instead of just competing on price,” he noted. “We’re selling a luxury item as it is – why would you sell it at a cut-rate price?”

If customers were aware of the dollars that would disappear from their water bills if they adjusted system clocks when they were overwatering, they would take technicians’ tips, Schell figured. “I don’t think people will conserve water until they are forced to by the money issue,” he reasoned.

Conservation can decrease water use by 25 percent and the client will realize value associated this savings, Hall pointed out. “It all comes circular,” he said. “If the contractor can educate the consumer on water or dollar conservation – however they want to spin it – we will get some serious work done,” he continued. “We will not get any major movement in water conservation other than buzzwords until the contractor gets in front of the client and educates them on things that they can do.”

The author is Managing Editor – Special Projects for Lawn & Landscape magazine.