May 10, 2008

Loudoun County: Be Conservative

Just when we thought it was safe to water our lawns, Loudoun Water is reminding us of last year’s drought and asking us to practice a little preventive conservation. We can help by watering less and only on designated days, using the following schedule: 

*Tuesday and Friday for nonresidential buildings and apartment complexes
*Wednesday and Saturday for odd residential addresses     
*Thursday and Sunday for even residential addresses 

In addition, it helps if we don’t water on rainy days. While that may sound obvious, automatic irrigation systems are the biggest burden on Loudoun’s water supply, and most stick to a set schedule regardless of conditions like weather and soil conditions. According to this Loudoun Times article, irrigation systems account for about 70% of the drain on the County’s water supply. I was truly shocked by that number, but maybe I shouldn’t be since we are just about the only people in my neighborhood without underground sprinklers. 

One solution being proposed by Loudoun Water is to switch to “smart” sprinkler systems, which are equipped to monitor both soil and weather conditions. Visit http://www.irrigation.org/smartwater/homeowners/index.html to learn more about these systems and how they can help the water conservation cause. 

You can find more information about Loudoun Water’s summer conservation campaign and how you can do your part here.

Happy watering!