Top tips for Smart Irrigation Month

With Australia set to face a severe El Niño summer, with predicted droughts and bushfires across the country, Reece Irrigation has declared November 2015 to be the inaugural ‘Smart Irrigation Month’. The initiative aims to create awareness about water waste outdoors and encourage Australians to practise efficient water use by making small adjustments when watering gardens or lawns.

According to Reece Irrigation Business Development Manager Eric Barsky, “While most people understand how to save water inside, we still have a long way to go in educating people on saving water outside.” With this in mind, Reece has come up with a few simple tips to avoid overwatering, save money and protect our national water supply:

1. Water early, and don’t bother when it’s windy. Watering the garden and lawn in the morning reduces water loss to evaporation. Watering when it’s windy is a waste of time.
2. Choose the right plants for the dry Australian climate. Select plants that are drought tolerant over plants that are thirsty, resulting in less watering and a healthy garden all year round.
3. Group plants with similar moisture needs in the same area, making it easier to ensure they get the water they need without overwatering.
4. Install a smart irrigation system. Smart irrigation systems minimise overwatering by adjusting to account for rain and cooler days. They will also reduce evaporation, run-off and weed growth, thus promoting overall plant health.
5. Maintain and upgrade automated irrigation systems to ensure they are working. Did you know a leaky sprinkler can waste up to 24,000 litres of water per month? Get an irrigation specialist in to check your watering systems for clogged or broken sprinkler heads.

For more ways on how you can save water outdoors, visit http://www.reece.com.au/smartirrigation.