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Austin Black, water conservation specialist for Waterwise Consulting, is overseeing the San Marcos School District water audit project. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

San Marcos Unified School District Benefits From Free Water Use Survey

Free water use surveys offered through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California provide both residential and commercial customers with recommendations to improve landscape and indoor water use efficiency. The surveys are available throughout Southern California, including San Diego County.

The San Marcos Unified School District took advantage of the opportunity for water use surveys at 17 of the district’s school sites. It is among the largest single regional customer survey to date.

Austin Black, water conservation specialist for WaterWise Consulting, oversees the audit project.

“We are auditing the irrigation system of all of the schools with more than one acre of landscape area [for this project],” said Austin. “The survey tests all the different irrigation zones, looking at the type of landscape and plant material, and weather factors. We take all that data and calculate potential water savings based on our recommendations.”

Recommendations may include converting to drip irrigation, installing smart controllers, and replacing grass with a WaterWise landscape with a more efficient watering system.

(L to R): San Marcos USD groundskeeper Xavier McCurry, Austsin Black and Arlene Acosta of WaterWise Consulting discuss the SDUSD water audit. Photo: Vallecitos Water District San Marcos Unified

(L to R): San Marcos USD groundskeeper Xavier McCurry, Austin Black, and Arlene Acosta of WaterWise Consulting discuss the water audit. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Surveyors also adjust existing sprinklers for maximum efficiency and compile a list of repairs and upgrades to improve water use efficiency.

“In our effort to be good stewards of all resources used by the district, the decision to participate was an easy one,” said Ted Norman, SMUSD executive director of maintenance and operations. “We will review all our options and implement as many of the recommendations as we can. It’s a win for everyone.”

Simple improvements add up to significant savings

Water Conservation Specialist Arlene Acosta of WaterWise Consulting assesses irrigation coverage at San Marcos Elementary School. Photo: Vallecitos Water District San Marcos Unified

Water Conservation Specialist Arlene Acosta of WaterWise Consulting assesses irrigation coverage at San Marcos Elementary School. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

In one example, the audit report provided to the district for the San Marcos Elementary School estimates that implementing the recommended water-saving measures can reduce landscape water use by approximately 252,000 gallons. Project cost savings are $1,363 annually. If similar savings are achieved at 17 schools, this reflects significant net savings to taxpayers.

“We will submit the reports, and the district can make the changes as they wish,” said Black. “The goal is to create water savings for the entire district and the [water] agency as well.”

MWD can assign a consultant to work with SMUSD and other customers after the audit is completed to help prioritize changes recommended in the survey. The consultant services are free.

Residential surveys find water, cost savings for homeowners

Water Conservation Specialist Arlene Acosta of WaterWise Consulting conducts a residential audit. Photo: Vallecitos Water District San Marcos Unified

Water Conservation Specialist Arlene Acosta of WaterWise Consulting conducts a residential audit. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Homeowners can also take advantage of free surveys. Residential surveys look at both indoor and outdoor home water use.

“It’s a comprehensive survey checking for leaks and ways we can make the household more efficient,” said Black.

Along with irrigation improvements, the residential audit reviews the replacement of inefficient plumbing fixtures and other simple adjustments.

Customers of any of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies can visit the website waterefficiencysurvey.com. Enter home address to determine if your residence is located in a qualified area.

SLIDER San Marcos Unified School District water audit

Austin Black with WaterWise Consulting monitors usage during a water audit at San Marcos Elementary School. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

A certified landscape irrigation auditor will schedule a survey and provide written recommendations for qualifying properties. Participants will receive a written report that includes the following:

  • Data collected during the survey.
  • Recommendations for improving the site’s irrigation efficiency including system repairs, equipment updates, and irrigation scheduling.
  • Information about available financial incentives to help with the cost of recommended improvements.

Surveys are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Applying does not guarantee a survey will be provided. Properties may only receive one survey for the life of the program. After filling out an online application the next step is scheduling a visit from a certified landscape auditor.

San Diego County residents can also take advantage of savings with rebates on a variety of water-saving technologies such as high-efficiency clothes washers and toilets, rain barrels and irrigation nozzles.

(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 San Diego County region.) 

Save Water and Money with Free Water Efficiency Survey

Forecasts of a hotter, drier climate for the Southwest U.S. make every effort to save water critical. A new program now available intends to do just that for residents in parts of Southern California. The San Diego County Water Authority, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, are offering free indoor and outdoor residential water efficiency use surveys.

Water Use Surveys-Audit-Save Money-Save Water

Save Water and Money with Free Water Efficiency Survey

Forecasts of a hotter, drier climate for the Southwest U.S. make every effort to save water critical. A new program now available intends to do just that for residents in parts of Southern California. The San Diego County Water Authority, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, are offering free indoor and outdoor residential water efficiency use surveys.

The surveys, in-person and virtual, are available within MWD’s service area, including San Diego County.

“The survey is a free, easy, tool that can show you what small changes can be made which will lead to long-term savings,” said Joni German, a water resource specialist at the Water Authority.

She said the surveys are scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis. After filling out an online application the next step is scheduling a visit from a certified landscape auditor.

Save water, save money

Not only do residents save our most precious resource, they also save money.

Vallecitos Water District customer Michael Berry took advantage of the program because he wanted to do more to save water. Even though Berry had previously replaced his grass with artificial turf, he said he learned how to save even more water after the survey.

“What I learned primarily is how to improve my irrigation system from spray-based systems to a drip based system,” said Berry. “That’s the primary thing I’ll fix going forward.”

Outdoor survey

An outdoor survey includes an evaluation of the water meter to check for leaks along with zone information on the homeowner’s plants. During this process the homeowner will take the surveyor around areas with irrigation, divided into sections or “zones.”

Inspections will be done on each zone to determine whether the current irrigation system in place is operating at peak efficiency. The water meter can be utilized in seeing any unusual increase of water usage without the homeowner’s knowledge which would indicate a leak in the irrigation system.

Saving water with irrigation efficiency

In Berry’s case, the surveyor performed a check up on potential irrigation problems such as valve malfunctions, pressure, sprinkler alignment, drainage leaks and anything else that might reduce efficiency or indicate overwatering. The presence of leaks or blocks in the valves and using spray water instead of drip irrigation are just a few elements the surveyor warned Barry could negatively impact his water savings.

“One of the specific things that the surveyor helped me with was the valve maintenance, making sure that every 6-12 months you have to clean the valves out to make sure they’re not getting impeded,” Berry said.

Once the survey is completed, participants receive a written report along with irrigation efficiency recommendations, and information on financial incentives to offset the cost of recommended improvements.

“It’s a good way to get a new perspective for anyone who does their own landscaping work and is curious about their water usage,” Berry said. In his case, Berry was able to make a plan to improve the water saving practices he already has in place.

“Spray system is where most of the problem I need to solve exists,” he said. “The spray system I have was spraying a lot of dirt areas which aren’t really helping the plants and tree. The second problem is the system is hard to control in terms of the amount of water that I want to put on over a period of time.”

Water efficiency inspections can also be performed on larger commercial landscapes. Schedule your free survey here: www.waterefficiencysurvey.com/.

(Editors Note: The Vallecitos Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region).