We’ve all been reading a lot about water conservation.  The local water companies have requested that everybody reduce their water use by 20%.   I wanted to share with you some of the things your City is doing to reduce its water consumption and offer a few conservation tips you and your family may wish to use.

One of the biggest ways the City is saving water is by the use of weather based or smart irrigation controllers that adjust irrigation runtimes with changes in the weather.    These smart irrigation controllers can quickly shut off all landscaping irrigation with the flip of a switch when water is not needed, saving thousands of gallons of water every year.  We also have increased the frequency of irrigation system inspections to identify sources of potential water waste.  This has resulted in the installation of flow sensor devises which monitor flow, detect leaks and identify further losses.  We’ve replaced older, less efficient sprinkler heads with modern high efficiency head types.  We’ve also added pressure regulation to ensure systems are not over pressurized resulting in “misting or fogging.”

As you might imagine, the City has a great deal of turf areas to maintain, especially at local parks.  Aerating these turf areas regularly to improve water infiltration and reduce run off, as well as applying mulch around trees and plant beds to reduce evaporation and maintain soil moisture has resulted in less water use.  We’ve also selected drought-tolerant plants for all new plantings, which save a great deal of water.

The City estimates that all of these water-saving measures save 444 million gallons of water; enough to fill 37,000 swimming pools or fill the Rose Bowl five times over!

At your home or business, there are several easy, water-saving measures you can use to achieve a 20% water savings.  Install a “smart controller” and save 24 gallons a day.  You can get a free smart irrigation controller for your home from the Castaic Lake Water Agency simply by taking their online class.  Visit CLWA.org and click on the smart irrigation controller rebates link.   Install a high efficiency washing machine with a water factor of 4.0 or less and save 10-20 gallons per load.  The Castaic Lake Water Agency is offering a $200 rebate to you for this purchase.  Visit their website at CLWA.org and click on the high efficient clothes washer rebates link for details.

In the yard, reduce your watering times and set them for between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. to save 25 gallons each time you water.  And don’t forget to adjust your sprinklers to water plants, not the driveway, to save 12-15 gallons each time you water.  Finally, if you install drip irrigation, you will save 15 gallons each time you water.

For more of these tips and information about the great rebates, visit the Castaic Lake Water Agency website at CLWA.org.  As always, I look forward to your correspondence.  Please feel free to email me directly at: lweste@santa-clarita.com.