Urban Water Management
All urban areas in the region experience large increases in water usage during summer months because of increased lawn watering. Much of the water use is excessive, wasting a limited resource and costing the home owner money. Many home owners’ water is based on when irrigation is allowed (for example alternating days) or based on some average recommendation without regard for current conditions. Western areas have experienced this situation for many years. Urban areas in the eastern part of the region generally need less watering. Thus, this problem is only becoming more apparent as growth is outstripping current water availability.
This program engages urban water users across the region in understanding lawn water use and behavior change by scheduling lawn watering based on meteorological assessments of lawn water evapotranspiration, thus, reducing overall water use in urban areas.