Coping With Drought And Water Restrictions

DIG WELLS TO CONTROL THE WATER SUPPLY. Jim Pope, president, Pope Landscape & Irrigation, Garner, N.C., reported that his design/build firm advises its commercial clients to dig wells so the city won’t control their water supply. "Some will use city water as an emergency backup, but for the most part our clients use wells. Groundwater is non-regulated and fairly abundant. As long as we can provide their water source, the drought is not a problem," said Pope.

At one site, his company dug five wells and linked them together to provide sufficient water. While digging wells can be more costly than hooking up to the city water, some cities are charging considerably more (up to $25,000) to install water meters. "The initial expenditure of digging wells can be recouped in three to five years through savings on water expenditures," noted Pope. As a design/build firm, almost 100 percent of Pope Landscape & Irrigation’s projects are irrigated. The company is using more drip irrigation for shrubbery.

WORKING WITH WATER RESTRICTIONS. Jud Griggs, certified landscape professional (CLP), vice president for operations at Smallwood Design Group/Smallwood Landscape, Naples, Fl., and a former Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) president, reported: "We are in phase II water restrictions. We can water existing landscapes only twice a week and new landscapes four times a week. The government is considering keeping water restrictions in place for an entire year because of the drought." New trees need frequent deep watering, and light watering twice a week is not enough.

Griggs said that, while there have been a couple of newspaper articles on using xeriscape landscaping and native plants, new developments and homes expect to have a "lush tropical look" in Florida. Even with some water restrictions, people are saying that they’ll pay the fine. "They don’t want a brown lawn," Griggs noted. Most of Smallwood Landscape’s clients expect a certain tropical look to their lawns, that’s what drew them to the area.

While some people are putting off upgrades until the rainy season, it’s been more of "business as usual." The police are getting more stringent about the water restrictions and are issuing more fines. "For some people, though, it’s small change compared to what they have invested in their landscape," Griggs added.

COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CLIENTS. Griggs advises contractors to correspond as much as possible with their clients. "Let them know what’s in your control and what’s not in your control," he said. His company is also making sure that all irrigation systems are operating efficiently, doing more with drip irrigation and trying to design better irrigation systems.

The company recently sent out a letter to its maintenance accounts giving them the option of applying surfactants so the sandy soil would retain water longer. Some clients signed up for this service. "This option is providing a small added source of revenue and sets us apart from the competition," Griggs noted. Thankfully, in early June, Naples finally had some rain.