The City of Johnston buys the water homeowners and businesses use from Des Moines Water Works. We encourage those using summer irrigation to Use Water Wisely, a recommended program aimed at smart summer irrigation. By improving the efficiency of irrigation practices, businesses and homeowners can reduce consumption, save money, and reduce the peak load on water facilities.
Landscape irrigation makes up a large portion of water consumption, particularly during the warm months of the year. There are many sophisticated automated, in-ground lawn sprinkler systems in use today; however, these systems can require regular maintenance to operate efficiently. It is important to remember that even the most properly maintained system can be operated unwisely.
Recommended Schedule
The recommended outdoor irrigation scheduled applies to all spray irrigation systems for businesses and homes:
- Watering is not recommended on Mondays
- Even-numbered addresses are encouraged to water on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, before 10:00 a.m., or after 5:00 p.m.
- Odd-numbered addresses are encouraged to water on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, before 10:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m.
- Watering is not recommended during the hottest part of the day, hours between 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Example of even and odd-numbered addresses:
- My home address is 5018 NW 64th Place – my recommended watering scheduled is Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, before 10:00 a.m., or after 5:00 p.m.
- My business address is 1355 Merle Hay Road – my recommended watering scheduled is Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, before 10:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m.
In addition, it is important to:
- Test irrigation systems each spring to ensure there are no leaking sprinkler heads and that each head is properly directing its spray onto the turf and landscape.
- For in-ground irrigation systems, install a moisture sensor that will turn off the irrigation system during its normal run cycle when there has been sufficient rainfall.
- When possible, avoid laying sod or grass seed during the month of July and the first three weeks of August. These typically are the hottest months of the year. New sod has no established root system and therefore requires daily watering during hot summer days to keep it alive. Grass seed is also best used during the fall.
- Consult your preferred garden center, lawn, or landscape professional for tips and consultation for your specific lawn and landscape care and watering needs.
For more information, please visit Des Moines Water Works.