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It's not easy keeping
things green
Online resources
www.waterwisetexas.org
Click Inexpensive Landscape Irrigation Calculator for do-it-yourself irrigation management.
www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/enforcement/csd/#li Irrigators must be licensed by the state. Search for a licensed irrigator in your area or check the status of someone’s license.
www.irrigation.org/cert_lookup.asp Search for a local irrigation auditor certified by the Irrigation Association.
Summer in Texas means the perfect conditions to kill your property’s landscaping. But you can’t water as much as you’d like to combat the hot, dry weather. Even if you could afford the water bills, drought conditions in the summer often result in water restrictions. And over-watering can shorten the lifespan of plants and erode the soil around a property.
So how can you or your property manager determine how much water is enough?
According to an article published in Irrigation Business and Technology by Robert Reaves of the Lower Colorado River Authority in Austin, the average commercial property in the Southwest spends 20%-50% of its maintenance contract in water bills. Proper irrigation scheduling alone can reduce a property’s water bills by 20%.
An irrigation contractor can perform an audit to determine your property’s watering needs as well as the efficiency of your current irrigation system. You learn to manage your watering to maximize its effectiveness and limit waste—both of which can save you money.
Texas requires that all irrigation contractors be licensed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; however, like real estate agents, some licensed irrigators are more capable than others. To ensure a skilled audit, check with your city’s utility commission for a list of recommended irrigation contractors.
Many municipalities offer rebates for multifamily and commercial properties that have undergone an irrigation audit.
You can also check with the Irrigation Association (Irrigation.org) for a local contractor. The association certifies landscape-irrigation auditors and provides many water-management resources.
If you want to try your hand at water management, the WaterWise Council of Texas (WaterWiseTexas.org) provides a very inexpensive Landscape Irrigation Calculator, which uses actual plant material, evapotranspiration, and rainfall to calculate how much water the irrigation system should apply, and how much the landscape needs.
Photo © Photodisc.
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Buyers & sellers, visit www.texasrealestate.com.
REALTORS®, visit www.texasrealtors.com.
