Trophy Club, TX (April 14, 2021) – Spring is in the air, the temperatures are rising and it’s time to start focusing on your yard… which can be a costly task! It’s no wonder people see a jump in water usage over the spring and summer months. With everyone running their irrigation systems trying to get their grass lush and green, it’s also a good time to remember how to care for your grass and conserve water going into the hot summer months. Check out these five conservation tips:
Cycle and Soak – Cycle and soak is a known method that allows you to apply water in short cycles instead of applying it all at once. Most irrigation controllers have the ability to set the cycle and soak configuration.
Remember however, Trophy Club is currently at Stage 1 water restrictions meaning residents can water their yards twice per week. The primary goal for Stage 1 restrictions is to significantly reduce outdoor watering, which can generally account for around 50% of the daily residential water used during the hot summer months.
Residential addresses ending in even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8 or 0) may water on Wednesday and Saturday
Those ending in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9) may water on Thursday and Sunday
All non-residential locations (commercial, apartments, parks, etc.) may water on Tuesday and Friday
No watering is permitted on Monday
Judge Irrigation Requirements in the Morning – The early bird gets the worm. In this case, it’s the water. High afternoon temperatures can cause plants to wilt, look off-color, drop leaves or shrink, even if there is moisture in the soil. When the sun sets, your yard can look normal. Irrigation will only be required if your lawn looks wilted and off-color in the morning. To double-check the moisture in the soil, you can do the screwdriver test by pushing a screwdriver into the soil to see how much moisture is present. The screwdriver will push easily into moist soil and will be more difficult in dry soil. Remember to use native and drought tolerant plants in your landscaping to help keep your displays fresh and vibrant.
Mow Your Lawn Higher – A taller lawn shades the soil, which in turn reduces evaporation and encourages longer roots. By moving the mower cutting height up one or two settings, you can keep your soil moist a little longer.
Mulch All Planted Areas – Mulch keeps the soil moist. It slows evaporation of water from the soil, allows water to infiltrate the soil efficiently, moderates the soil temperature and breaks down into nutrients for the plants. Maintain a 2 to 4-inch layer in all planted beds and containers.
Look at Your Irrigation System – When TC MUD No.1 district staff reads meters each month, homes with data logging meter heads will send a flag if the meter has not come to a complete stop in the 24 hours before the meter read. For many homeowners, this means there is a leak on their property, and the TC MUD No.1 sends out leak notice postcards. If you receive a postcard, it is recommended that you visually inspect your toilets and faucets, including outdoor hose bibbs. (Toilet leak detector tablets are available free at the TC MUD No. 1 front desk located at 100 Municipal Drive.)
How can you use your water meter to check for a leak? A good time to perform a check is when no one will be home for a couple hours. First, make sure no water is running in the house or outside. Then look at your water meter dial. If the leak detector is spinning then water is going through the meter. If you watch for a few minutes and it doesn’t move there may still be a slow leak. Note the read and position of the dial and check back in a couple hours.
New water meters have an electronic display that differs from older models. Instead of a leak detector that turns, the display toggles between the rate of flow and the consumption. See the information from the meter manufacturer on reading the E-Series Ultrasonic meters. If the rate of flow is other than zero, water is flowing through your meter. If the meter detects 24 hours without one 15-minute interval of zero flow (basically water is running constantly for 24 hours) the meter displays a Suspected Leak icon for the next 28 days.
You can isolate the source of leak by shutting off the water to the irrigation system (at the valve, not just at the program box.) If the meter only moves when the irrigation supply is turned on you will know the leak is in your irrigation system.
Watch below or click the following link for an instruction video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EphH-iZxes
Questions about your water meter or water bill, please contact the TC MUD No. 1 at (682) 831-4600. To learn more about the water in TC, please visit http://tcmud.org/.