Beginning Sept. 1, residents and business will be told to keep their watering to three days a week — an annual shift in the fall aimed at conserving water.
From May through August, the Southern Nevada Water Authority allows watering daily under the drought restrictions. That changes with the advent of September, rotating days among lettered water groups.
The Water Authority will also be distributing free controllers that automatically adjust to each season's water restrictions.
Water Authority spokesman J.C. Davis called restricting watering the most important thing a person can do to conserve water.
"Far and away the most effect you have on water use is landscaping," he said. "In the fall, you just don't need to be watering every day. If you change your clock, you reduce your water use by 50 percent."
Depending on location, water users are assigned specific days of the week to water. Residents can check their days by looking at their water bill or by looking it up on the Web at at www.snwa.com and clicking on the "Find Watering Groups" link. The limitations apply to drip irrigated landscapes as well.
Other restrictions include a ban on watering from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Oct. 2, a halt to mist systems at commercial businesses and a prohibition on new grass at commercial properties and residential front yards.
Water Authority officials also recommend that residents try running sprinklers in three cycles of four minutes apiece about an hour apart to allow the soil to slowly absorb water. Officials additionally suggest watering after sunset and before sunrise to reduce evaporation.
"I think people are definitely getting the hang of changing the clock seasonally," Davis said. "We understand it's kind of hard for people at the beginning."
To make the shift easier, the Water Authority has started a pilot project where water users can receive controllers, which will automatically change the watering clock with the season. The Water Authority received 600 for use this summer and has 150 devices remaining.
"We're going to test how effective these are and how much water we save," Davis said. "They were manufactured specifically for this. We're the first in the country to do something like this."
Conservation technicians will be monitoring the six new systems to determine which one works best. Davis said the next step could include manufacturing the model on a large scale, coupled with the development of an incentive program for Southern Nevada residents.
"If it works well, we hope it will not only save a lot of water here, but be a tool other communities around the country can use," Davis said.
Water customers can call 258-SAVE to learn more about participating in the project for free.
Davis said the Water Authority's conservation team began eyeing the project last year with the knowledge that changing the irrigation clock can save hundreds of millions of gallons. He also noted that unlike water from the faucet, irrigation does not automatically revert back into the system.
Davis said some residents might also be hesitant about changing their watering clocks.
"People can view them like VCRs," he said. "They don't want to mess with it."
As for violators of water use rules, Davis said, the amount of warnings and fines have remained the same. He noted most violators are unaware when they have broken sprinkler heads.
"A lot are pretty grateful for letting them know," Davis said. "The vast majority of them fix it without ever having to get a fine."
Overall, he said, Las Vegas Valley residents remain committed to conserving water. He noted that between 2002 and 2007 water use dropped by 15 billion gallons even as the population surged by 400,000.
"They understand it's the right thing to do," Davis said.
Dave Clark is a reporter for the Home News. He can be reached at 990-2677 or [email protected].
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy