Learn how to improve your gardening skills while saving water in the process with a recently published guide from the Water Utility Authority.
The irrigation efficiency guide, available in both English and Spanish, provides charts for seasonal watering methods, step-by-step instructions on installing and maintaining irrigation systems and specific tips for Albuquerque weather.
“This guide will give them comprehensive, easy-to-understand information on how to achieve a beautiful landscape by improving the way they irrigate that landscape,” Water Conservation Program Manager Carlos Bustos said in the release.
According to Bustos, outdoor water use can range from 30 to 70 percent of a home’s annual water consumption.
There’s a section dedicated to answering common questions received by the Water Utility Authority which range from the simple, “How should I water my trees?” to more complex questions like, “How do microclimates affect irrigation needs?”
Preventing water waste is at the heart of the guide.
One section deals with potential waste scenarios that are commonly experienced in the community, such as broken sprinklers and tricky leaks, and it provides tips on how to prevent and potentially fix them when they happen.
“Our goal is to take the mystery out of irrigation systems and offer practical, common-sense ways to make those systems work better,” the release states. “Being efficient in the ways we irrigate our landscapes can make a major impact on our community’s water use.”
Physical copies of the comprehensive guide can be found around Albuquerque at various retailers and nurseries. An online version of the guide can be downloaded for free at www.505outside.com
