Save Money on Your Water Bill by Saving Water on Your Lawn

If your New Year’s resolution is to save money and lower your water bill, your lawn might be a great place to start.

In Polk County, irrigation should account for 30% of residential water usage; however, some areas are reporting up to 50%. Some Polk County Utilities (PCU) customers average up to 2,309 gallons of water per day on lawn irrigation alone. That’s about the same amount of water that a Polk County Fire Rescue tanker truck can hold.

Gwo itilizasyon dlo non sèlman afekte rezèv dlo nan Konte Polk, men tou, bòdwo dlo w pa mwa. Sepandan, ou ka diminye itilizasyon dlo chak mwa ou pou irigasyon lè w pran kèk etap senp.

Anvan w gade fason pou konsève dlo atravè irigasyon gazon oswa jaden flè, ou dwe premye asire w ke w ap suiv direktiv irigasyon Konte Polk la. Pou kliyan rezidansyèl ak komèsyal PCU, awozaj gazon limite a sa sèlman de fwa pa semèn kèlkeswa sous dlo. Pwopriyetè pwopriyete ki pa respekte restriksyon sa yo ka fè fas ak amann. Gade direktiv irigasyon gazon ak jaden flè pou aprann plis.

Here are five ways to conserve money on your water bill by conserving water on your lawn:

1. Check your irrigation timer. Irrigation system timers sometimes reset after a power outage or a heavy storm. If your property experienced a power outage during the last hurricane season, your irrigation timer may have reset to the default setting without your knowledge. If this is the case, your lawn could be receiving water more often than you had intended, which wastes water and increases your monthly bill.
2. Make sure all areas of your lawn are being watered evenly. Now that you have checked your irrigation timer settings, are you sure that all areas of your lawn are receiving the same amount of water? If your sprinkler system is set up so that some areas are receiving more water than others, it could be costing you extra money. You can check your irrigation system’s efficiency by conducting a catch-can test. Here’s a step-by-step video from Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD).
3. Check for leaks. Even a small leak can drip hundreds of gallons of water per month – and leak money out of your wallet. Check all water faucets, hoses and connectors to make sure they are in good, working order. Also make sure that all faucets are completely closed when not in use.
4. Adjust your lawn irrigation schedule based on the season. When is the best time to water your lawn? Ideally, it is best to water your lawn in the morning before 10 a.m. This is especially useful during hot Florida months to prevent water loss from evaporation. If it’s cold outside in Florida, #SkipaWeek of watering and only water your lawn when it’s necessary. During the colder months, your lawn does not need as much watering. In fact, if you have received any significant rainfall recently, you can turn off your irrigation system and operate it manually as needed. Here’s how you can tell it’s time to water your lawn:

• Lam zèb pliye an mwatye
• Zèb ap vire yon koulè ble-gri
• Lè ou soti deyò, mak pye ou rete sou gazon an.

5. Makeover your lawn by planting a Florida-friendly landscape. A Florida-friendly lawn is one that requires minimal water, fertilizers and pesticides to thrive. This type of landscaping consists of drought-tolerant plants and trees. In addition to reducing your outdoor water usage, Florida-friendly landscapes provide habitats for birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Don’t know where to start? Contact UF/IFAS Extension Polk County at (863) 519-1041.

Konte Polk vle ede w ekonomize dlo

PCU ofri yon tcheke sistèm awozwa gratis pou itilizatè dlo ki gen gwo volim ki te itilize an mwayèn 14,000 galon dlo pa mwa pandan yon peryòd twa mwa. Pwogram nan disponib pou kay sèl ak pou plizyè fanmi ak biznis komèsyal yo.

To qualify, Polk County Utilities customers must meet these requirements:

• Fè yon kliyan PCU konekte pou omwen 12 mwa.
• Gen yon sistèm irigasyon jaden flè deja enstale.
• Sèvi ak yon mwayèn de 14,000 galon pa mwa pandan twa mwa ki sot pase a.

Si w kalifye, PCU ap voye yon teknisyen lakay ou pou l tcheke sistèm awozwa w la san w pa koute w. Chak evalyasyon ap gen ladan:

• Irrigation system evaluation with site-specific recommendations. A technician will provide you with personalized irrigation strategies for your landscaping.
• Assistance with proper irrigation timer settings.
• System functionality check. Are all your spray heads in working order? Do you have a sneaky line leak? The technician will inform you of any issues.
• Rain sensor evaluation and installation. Rain sensors tell your irrigation system to shut off after significant rainfall so that your landscaping does not receive an excess of water. While the cost of the rain sensor is the responsibility of the property owner, a technician can help with installation as part of the sprinkler system check-up.
• Smart timer installation. Smart timers can be managed from a phone or a tablet, which is ideal for part-time Polk County residents who need to be able to control their irrigation system remotely. The purchase of the smart timer is also the responsibility of the property owner.

Pou wè si w kalifye pou yon evalyasyon sistèm awozwa gratis, kontakte PCU nan (863) 298-4244 .

Does your water use not quite reach an average of 14,000 gallons per month? Still, reach out. PCU can give you tips on how to lower your water usage and your monthly water bill.

HOA ak konpayi jesyon lojman elijib tou pou yon evalyasyon sistèm irigasyon.

Gade videyo sa a pou w aprann plis sou pwogram nan.