Watering lawns and other landscaping accounts for 60% of average household water usage nationwide. To help meet state-mandated water consumption standards, California's Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) is celebrating Smart Irrigation Month by giving away free hose nozzles (two per household while supplies last) to customers in its service area: the cities of Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, and Upland. The Irrigation Association launched Smart Irrigation Month in 2005 to promote the social, economic, and environmental benefits of efficient irrigation.
"Because more water is typically used in July than any other month, this is an excellent opportunity to encourage our communities to be more mindful of water usage during the warmer season," says IEUA Board President Steve Elie. The agency is encouraging customers to:
- Water responsibly by following city/water district's drought ordinances that include restrictions on watering schedules and water waste.
- Water your landscape a few minutes at a time and look out for run-off.
- Detect and repair all leaks.
- Install high efficiency sprinkler nozzles, drip irrigation, or moisture sensors.
- Consider replacing your existing irrigation controller with a smart controller. They by automatically adjust to weather changes, account for plant types, soil, location, climate, and other landscape conditions.
