Less Is More When It Comes to Watering Your Lawn: Daylight Saving Time Irrigation Schedule
By Space Coast Daily // March 14, 2016
Titusville Water Resources Program
TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA – If you want a healthy, sustainable yard, one of the most important things you can do for it is to water it correctly, says Maureen Phillips, City of Titusville Water Resources’ Water Conservation & Public Outreach Manager.
Sunday, March 13, started the beginning of Daylight Saving Time and with the change in time comes a change in the number of days outside irrigation is allowed.
During Daylight Saving Time, March 13 through November 5, the irrigation restrictions allow outside irrigation no more than twice a week.
Homes with even numbered addresses can irrigate on Thursdays and Sundays. Homes with odd-numbered addresses can irrigate on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Businesses can irrigate on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The irrigation restrictions apply to all properties in the St. Johns River Water Management District, unless specifically exempted.
According to Phillips, too much water promotes shallow root systems, leaches nutrients from the soil, and causes fungal growth. The weakened turf then becomes more susceptible to pests.
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By giving their sprinkler systems a checkup to make sure they were operating properly, homeowners would find that two days a week irrigation would provide sufficient water to support their lawns.
Phillips said that homeowners could take simple steps such as fixing broken sprinkler heads, matching types of heads in any one zone, installing rain sensors, turning off systems on windy days, and directing heads towards turf, not driveways or sidewalks, to greatly increase the efficiency of their irrigation systems.
An efficient irrigation system would mean less water wasted through runoff or evaporation into the air, and more water getting to plant roots.
Related Story:City of Titusville Water Conservation Program Helps You Control Your Irrigation System
Titusville promotes the efficient use of all water and restricts the use of well water, city water, and reclaimed water for outside irrigation. The restrictions also limit irrigation on watering days to before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
Titusville residents can learn more about the irrigation restrictions and how to create an attractive water-saving yard by contacting the Titusville Conservation Office at 321-567-3865 or by visiting the Water Resources Department’s Conservation Program pages at Titusville.com
