Come 2023, San Diegans might be paying more every time they turn on their faucet, flush the toilet or water their lawns. That’s because San Diego’s city council unanimously approved a proposal to send out notices in September for a public hearing to adjust water rates. It’s the first step before an increase. Under this proposal the rate could go up by as much as 3%.
Irrigation is an essential part of any good landscape design. It ensures plants and trees get the water they need to thrive without wasting a drop. Once you know how much water your landscape plants require, it’s time to take a closer look at your irrigation system.
Whether you are working with a professional designer or are doing the project yourself, the following checklist will help you keep track of the main design decisions involved in irrigation design.
Evaluate your existing irrigation system and determine if it can be maintained in its current condition or if you need to upgrade it. Some irrigation systems can be upgraded by changing nozzles, converting to drip emitters, or adding a smart controller, while others may need to be completely redesigned.
High-efficiency irrigation is the most efficient method to deliver water to plants is low-flow irrigation. It delivers water from the valve through a filter and then through a network of lateral pipes and sometimes flexible tubing, to the individual emission devices such as drip emitters, in-line drip emitters, or bubblers. Pressure compensating devices are always the most efficient option.
Low flow irrigation is a good choice for trees and shrub areas and should be used in any landscaped areas next to hardscape and in areas less than eight feet wide to prevent runoff from overspray. When using drip emitters, reduce maintenance and ensure long-term durability by selecting good quality tubing and designing for at least two emitters per shrub.
Moderate efficiency irrigation is the next most efficient types of irrigation include rotating or low precipitation (typically for spaces eight to 30 feet in size). These nozzles are a better choice than conventional spray heads for watering turf because they have a lower application rate – they water slowly. Your watering times will increase, but these sprinklers do not produce mist, and they apply water at a rate turf can absorb it, reducing runoff.
Low-efficiency irrigation. The least efficient types of automatic irrigation include conventional spray irrigation and impact rotors. These types of high precipitation irrigation distribution systems generally apply water faster than the soil can absorb. Installing a new system with low-efficiency irrigation is not recommended. If you have an existing conventional spray system, you can easily retrofit it with new low precipitation nozzles.
This new landscape includes a drip-irrigation system, rotating nozzles, and a smart irrigation controller to schedule efficient water use. Photo: Otay Water District
Upgrade to a smart controller, an automatic controller (also called a timer or clock) is either weather-based or has historical weather data included as a reference. Some systems allow for adding a weather sensor or moisture detection system that automatically adjusts your watering schedule in response to current weather or soil moisture level.
Smart controllers can turn off your sprinklers when it rains and increase the frequency and/or duration of watering in hotter weather. Locate the controller in a place that is easy for you to access, such as the garage.
WaterSmart landscape irrigation aims to apply water as efficiently as possible. This means using low flow drip or bubblers whenever possible and in areas with overhead sprays, providing the correct pressure and equipment layout to ensure even coverage to maximize efficiency.
Once you have determined what type of irrigation you would like to use, divide your yard into zones and note what kind of irrigation you plan to use in each zone. Contact some of the major irrigation manufacturers to obtain an irrigation design guide to help you with the specifics of your irrigation layout. Some irrigation manufacturers even offer free irrigation design services.
It is important to double-check to make sure your design meets the target landscape water use after installation. You may need to adjust the design to meet your target to maximize water savings.
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(Editor’s Note: The San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies offer programs, resources, and incentives to improve water-use efficiency for residential, commercial, and agricultural users. WaterSmart choices are a way of life in the region. Stay WaterSmart San Diego! For more water-use efficiency resources, go to WaterSmart.SD.org.)
Trees are a very essential part of California’s infrastructure, with some of them taking 20 to 30 years to mature. Despite the drought, watering these important resources remains vital.
“We don’t want to put them at risk for various diseases because they’re not getting enough water. The tree tends to get used to the amount of water that’s there in the area. So as we dial back watering our lawns, we have to be aware that we might be stressing the tree that’s gotten used to the watering that we previously were doing,” Chief Sustainability Officer of StreetsLA Greg Spotts told “Inside the Issues” host Alex Cohen.
California’s water issues may be complicated. But the rainfall shortage driving the state’s current drought comes down to basic math.
“In most places we are missing an entire year of rain over the past three years,” said Jan Null, a meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Services in Half Moon Bay. “It’s like if you worked three years but only got paid for two. You are going to be hurting.”
Once your WaterSmart Living Landscape design starts coming together, pick your plants for each water-use category to ensure you meet your WaterSmart water conservation goals. Focus on local native plants or plants from similar climate regions.
When designing a living, water-saving landscape, you want your new outdoor space to fit your house, your neighborhood, and your lifestyle. Finding that fit begins by asking a few basic questions. First, how do you want to use your space? It’s possible to significantly improve your home’s water efficiency and meet your lifestyle needs at the same time.
When undertaking a water-saving landscape renovation, strive to continuously feed as much organic matter as possible to the landscape soil to keep it healthy. Start with compost and mulch to jump-start the process. Eventually, your plants will feed themselves with their own leaf litter.
Once your WaterSmart Living Landscape design starts coming together, pick your plants for each water-use category to ensure you meet your WaterSmart water conservation goals. Focus on local native plants or plants from similar climate regions.
Once you’ve chosen your plant types, there are additional important considerations.
Design for mature plant size: Allow enough space for the plants you select to grow to their full size to avoid overcrowding or the need for excessive pruning.
Growing conditions: Select plants suited for your microclimate, soil type, and drainage to achieve optimum plant growth.
Even the strictest drought restrictions allow for watering trees on residential and commercial properties. Photo: Otay Water District
Tree placement: Typically, a planting design will include a tree or two for shade. Placing a deciduous tree on the south or west side of your home will shade your house during the summer to keep it cool and allow more light and sun exposure in the winter. Keep trees at least 10′ from foundations. In fire hazard areas, trees should be placed, so the mature canopy is at least 10 feet away from any structures.
Shrub placement: Shrub and groundcover planting is typically designed with various heights. Medium size (three to four foot) shrubs are usually placed closer to the house to create a “foundation” or backdrop. Smaller shrubs are then placed in front of the foundation planting and low groundcovers in the area closest to the sidewalk or street.
Accent shrubs can provide a unique texture, color, or flowers. Place them so they provide interest and focus views on locations in the landscape. Highlight your entrance walk with special accent plants. This places a higher emphasis on your entry, which is where you want visitors to be directed.
Be bold and have fun. Don’t be afraid to express your individual tastes.
Determine water use before choosing plants for your new sustainable landscaping. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
Water has been a precious resource throughout history in arid regions of the world. This perspective has been integrated into Mediterranean landscapes by using water only in the most important areas.
If you have some high water use plants you particularly want to include, they can be used. Strive to include no more than 10% high water use plants or water features in your landscape, so choose carefully.
If you choose to include plants not classified as very low or low water use, be sure to group these moderate or high water use plants together. Grouping plants of similar water use together, known as planting in hydrozones, makes it easier to irrigate efficiently by letting you concentrate additional water only where it is needed.
Higher water use plants should be on a separate irrigation valve so you can water them differently than the rest of the garden.
Mediterranean landscapes also historically used water features for a pleasant and calming sound. The water area of the fountain will lose water at about the same rate as cool-season turf grass or another high-water use plant. By minimizing the square footage of open water, a water feature can fit well into the WaterSmart landscape.
Limit the amount of turf in your design as much as possible. If you choose to incorporate turf, consider a warm-season turf that uses less water than traditional cool-season turf. Warm-season turf such as Hybrid Bermuda or UC Verde Buffalo Grass thrives in the hot months of the year and naturally go dormant in winter. Another less thirsty grass to consider is Carex praegracilis or California Field Sedge.
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(Editor’s Note: The San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies offer programs, resources, and incentives to improve water-use efficiency for residential, commercial, and agricultural users. WaterSmart choices are a way of life in the region. Stay WaterSmart San Diego! For more water-use efficiency resources, go to WaterSmart.SD.org.)
Our investments to protect San Diego County from the harsh effects of the worst drought in 1,200 years continue to pay off. Last week, the San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors unanimously adopted a resolution reaffirming our commitment to water conservation after we were joined by California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, and many regional leaders to commit to additional water-saving measures that stretch our limited resources.
My sincere thanks go out to Secretary Crowfoot and Mayor Gloria for their leadership, as well as the many other civic and business leaders who joined us to promote the Summer of Water Savings. We are proud to have coordinated regional efforts to maximize San Diego priorities and efficiencies within the San Diego County economy and quality of life.
The list of supporting organizations includes the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego County Farm Bureau, the San Diego Tourism Authority, Biocom California, the South County Economic Development Council, the East County Economic Development Council, the Industrial Environmental Association, the Asian Business Association, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, the Building Industry Association of San Diego, the San Diego Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and the Building Owners and Managers Association.
I’m also grateful to every San Diegan who helped reduce per capita water use in our region by more than 40% over the past three decades. We have made water conservation a way of life — but the fact is that we can and should do more. We don’t know what the future may bring. The water we save now, the more we will have if conditions worsen.
We are committed as a region to answering the Governor’s call to step up conservation efforts in the face of extreme hot and dry conditions statewide. We are collaborating with the Department of Water Resources’ Save Our Water program, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and our 24 member agencies on public outreach and education efforts this summer to stop water waste and increase conservation efforts to stretch our water supplies.
We also are extremely proud of the investments our member agencies are making in water repurification projects that will sustain our region in the future. It is through forward-thinking projects like these, combined with our historic water conservation agreements, that we will continue to lead California in water supply reliability and conservation. And our success in this generational mission is a model for how to sustain the long-term health of our communities, farms, environment, and economy.
With much of the southwestern United States in a persistent drought that is stressing source waters such as the Colorado River and the State Water Project, the Fallbrook Public Utility District is encouraging everyone to do their part and conserve as much water as possible.
Fortunately, in Fallbrook, the situation isn’t dire like in other parts of the state. Local residents and businesses have been cutting back and conserving for years, and the district is now selling about the same amount of water as it did back in the 1950’s, even though Fallbrook’s population has grown significantly since then.
Other parts of the state aren’t as lucky.
“While there are no mandatory restrictions on watering days and times right now, the governor has hinted that if people don’t conserve more across the state, he will require additional mandatory restrictions, so it’s important that we all do what we can to avoid this,” said Jack Bebee, general manager of FPUD.
