The Emerald Heights homeowner’s association in Escondido recently completed a successful clubhouse upgrade including a landscaping makeover replacing existing turf with a beautiful drought-tolerant design. Emerald Heights HOA representatives met with O’Connell Landscape and Maintenance, which encouraged the HOA to take advantage of the SoCal WaterSmart turf replacement program.
While fall rains have already begun, climatologists predict a dry winter, courtesy of the long-anticipated La Niña conditions. Reservoirs are at dangerously low levels. There’s little chance of their being replenished this winter, according to predictions used by federal forestry and fire agencies.
Our governor has asked all Californians to voluntarily cut water use by 15 percent. San Diego County Water Authority asked residents to reduce water use by 10 percent. No matter where in California we garden, it’s time we look hard for ways to use less water.
The Emerald Heights homeowner’s association in Escondido recently completed a successful clubhouse upgrade including a landscaping makeover replacing existing turf with a beautiful drought-tolerant design.
The gated community is located within the Vallecitos Water District. It covers 6.2 acres including a private athletic club with tennis and basketball courts, plus a community pool and spa. The landscape of turf and trees surrounding the clubhouse area was not healthy. But it would be challenging to find plant materials well suited to growing in the microclimate under the shade trees.
Before: the original landscaping included large sections of turf. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
Emerald Heights HOA representatives met with O’Connell Landscape and Maintenance. Jack Rush, O’Connell’s executive vice president of operations, encouraged the HOA to take advantage of the SoCal WaterSmart turf replacement program.
“It incentivized them by offering rebates to help offset the construction costs [for the clubhouse],” said Rush.
The HOA had invested in irrigation system upgrades two years ago, including “baseline” smart controllers throughout the community. HOA board president Dan Cannon and committee members worked with HOA property manager Telsa Dubois of Allure Management and O’Connell Landscape Management, project manager Salvador Alvarado, and construction supervisor Basilio Diaz to craft the new plan.
Dry riverbed areas were established in place of existing turf, graded to capture water runoff into these areas. Cobblestones and boulders were added, along with plants featuring different leaf textures and unique flowers. Using plants at different heights enhanced the landscape area and gave it a more eye-appealing look.
The HOA was able to remove 2,746 square feet of turf surrounding the clubhouse and tennis court areas. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
Throughout the property, point-to-point drip system irrigation was installed. All remaining spray heads were replaced with drip fixtures.
O’Connell applied for the incentive program on behalf of Emerald Heights HOA through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. It was able to remove 2,746 square feet of turf surrounding the clubhouse and tennis court areas. The HOA received $8,238 in rebates for the turf replacement.
“The water savings is still too early to tell, but we estimate 50% to 60% water savings are possible,” said Rush, based on the new plant materials and irrigation retrofitting. Rush says his firm will continue to explore more potential water savings for the community and work closely with members of the HOA.
The Emerald Heights HOA project is estimated to yield 50% to 60% water savings. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
The Emerald Heights HOA can file a turf replacement application each year to receive more turf rebates. Removing thirsty grass is one of the most water-conscious adjustments it can make to reduce its water usage and associated costs.
The Turf Replacement program is a two-part application process. To qualify for a rebate, customers must apply to reserve rebate funds before starting their project. The landscaping makeover must take place with 180 days, including the request for a rebate. Funding levels are subject to change based on availability at the time of rebate approval.
For more information about the turf replacement program, go to www.socalwatersmart.com and for more WaterSmart tips and additional rebate opportunities in the San Diego region, go to: www.watersmartsd.org/
(Editor’s note: The Vallecitos Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
The end of daylight saving time is a reminder to residents to assess their outdoor watering needs and adjust their irrigation systems to reduce water waste – an especially important step after more than two years of statewide drought. Plants simply don’t need as much water during cooler months, and they typically don’t need irrigation at all after heavy rains. Using water efficiently indoors and outdoors is easier than ever thanks to online resources offered by the Water Authority at www.watersmartsd.org.
November 4, 2021 – The end of daylight saving time on Sunday offers residents a reminder to assess their outdoor watering needs and adjust their irrigation systems to reduce water waste – an especially important step after more than two years of statewide drought. Plants simply don’t need as much water during cooler months, and they typically don’t need irrigation at all after heavy rains.
The end of daylight saving time is a reminder to residents to assess their outdoor watering needs and adjust their irrigation systems to reduce water waste – an especially important step after more than two years of statewide drought. Plants simply don’t need as much water during cooler months, and they typically don’t need irrigation at all after heavy rains.
“This is a great time to make sure irrigation systems are working properly and delivering the right amount of water,” said Jeff Stephenson, a water resources manager for the San Diego County Water Authority. “After two years of drought, using water efficiently and eliminating water-wasting practices is a critical part of preserving more of our precious supply.”
Outdoor watering accounts for more than half of a typical household’s water use in California. Making seasonal adjustments to irrigation controllers can help reduce water waste and lead to healthier landscapes. Water-saving practices include turning off irrigation systems when rainstorms are predicted and leaving them off for at least a week after significant rainfall.
Using water efficiently indoors and outdoors is easier than ever thanks to online resources offered by the Water Authority at www.watersmartsd.org. The site is filled with information about conservation incentives, and it includes tools and programs designed to make the most of the region’s most precious natural resource. Saving water is easier than many people realize. A few simple changes can make a big difference – especially outdoors.
The 2021 water year was the driest in California in more than a century, but San Diego County continues to have reliable water supplies due to long-term investments in water sources and infrastructure, coupled with extensive water conservation efforts. Per capita potable water use in the San Diego region has decreased by nearly 50% since 1990 as residents and businesses continue to adopt WaterSmart practices.
The results are in: Californians aren’t saving enough water. Amid a historic drought, Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked us to reduce water consumption by 15 percent. Yet in August, the most recent month for which data is available, we’d brought usage down just 5 percent compared with the same time last year. Of course, not all water-saving is the responsibility of California households. Eighty percent of California’s water goes toward agriculture, and other businesses play a big role too.
(Editor’s note: The New York Times published a previous story, How San Diego Has Water Despite A Punishing Drought.)
Even with the recent storm drenching Northern California, it’s important that residents conserve water, experts said. The storm — which included a ‘bomb cyclone’ — dropped more than five inches of rain on the capital city in 24 hours. But it won’t end the state’s drought. And next year could be dry, too.
It’s not March and there was no miracle.
A strong atmospheric river dumped record rain on Northern California last weekend and sent some modest showers to San Diego.
The downpours helped replenish the state’s dwindling reservoirs some, but not enough for Gov. Gavin Newsom to lift the drought emergency he expanded to the entire state last week.
Whenever California is pummeled by drought — as is still very much the case despite recent rain — a lot of people find themselves asking, “What if we got water from the ocean?”
In San Diego County, it’s already happening at a $1 billion facility by the beach.
Recently, as I reported on San Diego’s decades-long quest for water stability, I visited the Carlsbad Desalination Plant, the largest such facility in the country, to see how it works.
