Photo by FotoliaA new program aims to help residents of The Woodlands save water and money.

As part of a continuing effort to encourage water conservation in the community, The Woodlands Joint Powers Agency recently introduced a program that provides free assessments of irrigation systems for residents.

Called The Woodlands Irrigation System Evaluation program (W.I.S.E. Guys), the agency that oversees water use in the community will send out a licensed professional to find problems that waste water in residential sprinkler systems.

“Irrigation accounts for 60 to 70 percent of the water use in the county,” said Marjie Risk, education/public awareness coordinators for The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, which manages the county’s underground water supply. “Fifty percent of that water is often wasted.”

Among the biggest culprits in the system are watering too frequently and running sprinklers to long in yard sections, said Jay Hartley, a W.I.S.E. Guy who works for Pampered Lawn Inc., and is president of the Houston Gulf Coast Irrigation Association.

Other problems include broken sprinkler heads and nozzles or improperly sized nozzles that overspray onto sidewalks and driveways.

“This program comes right to the house and walks you through your irrigation system to see any inefficiencies they have,” said Hartley, who founded the WISE Guy program with Doug Goodwin of Irrigations Services. “This evaluation opens their eyes and let’s them better understand their system. Some didn’t realize they set their systems to water seven days a week. A lot of them can physically watch what their system is doing. If they see what goes down the drain, they may see the money that is being wasted.”

Hartley said most homeowners can save 25 percent of their water simply by using the proper nozzles.

The program includes a free evaluation of irrigation systems at your home, which generally last from 30 minutes to an hour. The homeowner is provided a list of recommendations to improve their system, but it under no obligation to use the professional that is doing the inspection.
The WISE Guys include 18 licensed irrigators from 14 companies in the area.

The program was introduced in October on the heels of a new pricing structure for The Woodlands that is designed to encourage conservation. The tiered rate structure provides lower water fees for those who use less than 4,000 gallons during a two months cycle and escalating fees for those who exceed average uses. Those that use more than 60,000 gallons in the two months bill period will face the highest charges.

The Woodlands Joint Powers Agency said that overwatering is the most frequent mistake homeowners in The Woodlands make in lawn care and that lawns only need an inch of water a week. Spring is the peak season for root growth and irrigating less now will help promote deep roots and healthier lawns.

Summer water use in The Woodlands is three to eight times the amount used during the winter months. A family of four using more than 40,000 in a two month period is irrigating too much, the joint power agency said.

In addition to identifying irrigation system problems, the Joint Power Agency offers rebates to customers who buy and install rain sensors or smart controllers for their sprinklers. The rain sensors turn systems off during significant rains, while the smart controllers detect evaporation and transpiration rates, humidity, temperature and rainfall before allowing system to activate.

The Joint Powers agency offers a 50 percent rebate for these systems, up to $150.

For more tip on how to grow a great lawn in Texas, visit the Joint Powers agency's Web site at http://www.wjpa.net/greatlawns/index.html.

Free Irrigation System Assessment in The Woodlands

The Woodlands Joint Powers Agency, which oversees the 11 municipal utility districta in The Woodlands, is offering its customers a free assessment of their irrigations systems by a professional irrigator. The assessment will help identify issues that are wasting water and money in their system. To schedule an appointment, call (281) 367-1271.