ALBUQUERQUE, March 3, 2023 –The Water Authority has published a free, comprehensive irrigation efficiency guide to help its customers learn how to improve their landscape irrigation and save water.
“This is the next step in providing the information our customers need. Under our Water by the Numbers program they know how many times to water, but this guide will give them comprehensive, easy-to-understand information on how to achieve a beautiful landscape by improving the way they irrigate that landscape,” explained Carlos Bustos, Water Conservation Program Manager.
The guide, which is available in English and Spanish, covers topics such as how to match irrigation with a landscape, available irrigation methods, how to improve irrigation efficiency and how to take care of landscape and irrigation systems. It also includes seasonal water charts that illustrate how long to water with drip irrigation, a hose, spray irrigation and high-efficiency micro rotors depending on the time of year.
In addition, the guide answers questions commonly received by the Water Authority, such as, “How does my soil type affect my landscape and irrigation needs?”; “I want to convert my lawn to a xeriscape. Where do I start?”; “How can I water efficiently with a hose?”; and “How do I renovate my existing irrigation system?”
The guide contains colorful charts and step-by-step instructions and is suitable for anyone who irrigates their landscape, Bustos said.
“Our goal is to take the mystery out of irrigation systems and offer practical, common-sense ways to make those systems work better. Considering that outdoor water use can range from 30 to 70 percent of a home’s annual water consumption, being efficient in the ways we irrigate our landscapes can make a major impact on our community’s water use,” Bustos explained.
Customers can find the Water Authority’s Irrigation Efficiency Guide at nurseries and retailers throughout Albuquerque, or they can access an online version of the guide by clicking on the link on the www.505outside.com home page. They can also request a copy of the guide by calling 505-842-WATR (9287) and pressing option 4.
