6.5. ERMUSR 11-13-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~~ ~ s~ ~sn, cor,t~rt ued from page 1 working with him visited about 100 homes throughout Chanhassen this summer in a water conservation pro- gram aimed at helping the city avoid a repeat of 2007 when two municipal wells went dry during a July drought. The "irrigation audits," administered by the city and paid for with a $21,000 grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, were part of an effort to promote conservation and demon- strate how Minnesotans can save a good portion of the billions of gallons of water they sprinkle on their lawns each summer. Lawn sprinkling-driven by a demand for lush turf that stays green through the hottest, driest days of summer-is a big and growing part of Minnesota's demand for water. Water managers say automated irrigation sys- tems, commonly installed with homes built in Twin Cities suburbs over the last decade, are the leading cause of sum- mertime water use that is forcing many communities to invest millions of dollars in new wells and is threatening under- ground water supplies in some areas. :al~'•~"~i'1>~ ~~~f~ ~a ~.'?;a' ll~~ 1F,fl~~~r ~~~j y~ul~a~ ~"g~'~I' ~~~rl UV~~~;~ ~~,~ ts~1J783f~, 5.l~6ii ~~~9 ~' ~~~~~5 f~~~ 9 ~C~~ 577a.~~CY ~~~n.3~i la H ~gs~~ll.+l3 J31'~~~~~L:' --itla ftil!i i:~lEILS ;a#oodbury Ciby E;~yineer Chanhassen used the PCA grant for several conservation projects, includ- ing the irrigation audits performed by Otto's firm, Irrigation Consultants and Control Inc. of Plymouth. There was no charge to homeowners who took part. Each of the participating homeowners got a written report, evaluating their sprinkling system on a zone-by-zone basis and recommending a monthly watering schedule for the April through October growing season. Otto estimated that most of the lawn irrigation systems he examined in Chanhassen could be fine-tuned and upgraded in relatively inexpensive ways that would save 30 percent to 40 percent of the water they now use each year. In Woodbury, across the metro area from Chanhassen, Klayton Eckles, the city engineer and deputy public works director, said in-ground lawn sprinkling systems have been the big factor in Woodbury's water use increasing faster than its population has grown over the last several decades. "We've seen pretty high water use, and we've seen water use climbing over the years," Eckles said. "And what I've determined is it's pretty much these irri- gation practices." Household water consumption var- ies significantly across Minnesota, but usage in homes served by public water systems averaged about 70 gallons per person per day in 2007, according to Department of Natural Resources records. In rural communities and in older cities with many apartments, small residential lots and long-estab- lished lawns and trees per capita water use often is significantly less. In Chanhassen, Woodbury and many other fast-growing suburbs-where the lots are large, the lawns are new, in-ground sprinkling systems are common and peer pressure favors a lawn that stays green all summer-per capita water use often is much higher. Chanhassen's per capita residential water use was 97 gallons last year; Woodbury's was 111 gallons. "For the aesthetics of the lawn, you want a green lawn," said Jill Miller, one of the Chanhassen residents whose sprinkler systems were evaluated by Otto. "It's a hard balance. You want to have a green lawn, and you want to save water. Nobody wants your home to be the one they drive by and say 'Oh, my goodness, look at the lawn."' Otto concluded that Miller was not applying too much water for July, when Ti.rrnirrg off [he tap... Conlilrues on page What you can do to save water. and have a green lawn • If you are building a bevy home or laying new sod, be sure there is at least 6 inches of top- soil beneath the sod. • Test your soil and cohsider adding compost as organic material. It will dramatically.. increase'the absorption of water. • Follow the Environmental Protection Agen- cy's WaterSense guidelines for landscaping:,. Limit the amount of turt you plant, don't planYgrass on steepslopes, don't install or- namental water features. • Microir~igation or drip_systems, not sprin= klers, should be Used on planting beds and strips of grass that are less than 8 feet wide. • Don't over-water. Most lawns need only one inch of water each. week, eitherfrom rain or from irrigation. Step on yourgrass-if it springs back, it doesn'tneed watering. • Water early in the morning to cut losses'to evaporation. The middle of the day is the worst time. • Cut grass no shorter than 2 inches. It will promote deeper roots that require less water., • Install aweather-sensing controller or soil- moisture sensor as part of you automated sprinkling system. They will reduce over- watering. • Aerateyour lawn, as needed. • When.hiring an irrigator, look for a certified installer. The EPA offers astate-by-state list of WaterSense Irrigation Partnersat www. epa.goy/watersense/pp/irrprof.htm. For'more :information, `. checK out these wetsites Water Conservation Toolbox at http://metro- council.org/environmentlWaterSupply/conserva- tiontoolbox residential.hfm Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense program at www.epa.goy/watersense/index.htm University of Minnesota Extension Service Low Input Lawri Care at ivw~w.extensiontumn. edu/distribution; harticulture!DG7552.html Irrigation Association Consumer Hand- -bookatwww.irrigation.org/Rsres/default. ~ . aspx?pg=consumer info htm#5. FACETS ~~,,~~~~,tr ?008 Q