Outdoor water use in Oklahoma City can account for about 40% of household consumption. Landscape sprinkler system use is the most common cause of an unexpected high water bill. Use water wisely with these tips:
- Check your irrigation schedule, and only water on your allowed watering day. Properties with addresses that end in even numbers can water on even-numbered calendar days, and odd addresses can water on odd-numbered calendar days. Odd/even watering includes residents and businesses. Report water violations by visiting okc.gov/action.
- Water early in the morning or late in the evening. Midday watering means over half of the water is lost to evaporation.
- Periodically watch your sprinkler system while it’s running to find any leaking heads, pipes or busted backflow devices. Turn your system off until repairs are made.
- Only water when necessary. Overwatering can cause turfgrass diseases, plant root rot and other issues.
- Add a 2-to-4-inch layer of mulch around plants to keep water in the soil where plants need it.
- Put a rain gauge in the yard. When it has 1 inch of water for the week during the summer, you can turn the sprinkler system off.
- Let your bermudagrass lawn turn brown. It’s dormant and will come back.
- Remember, fall is just around the corner. When temperatures drop, so should your watering schedules. Always adjust your runtimes with the season.
- The Oklahoma City Water Conservation Team is available to help neighborhood and homeowner associations find opportunities to save water in common areas. Visit SqueezeEveryDrop.com for more information.
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Media Contact
Malarie Gotcher
(405) 297-3380
malarie.gotcher@okc.gov
