December 2021 - It Rained!

Our newsletter is monthly unless we have a significant rain event.

A nice winter storm brought rain and cooler temperatures to most areas of the Valley. Most areas received a half-inch or more. Perhaps you're so excited (our last significant rain was early October) that you've forgotten to turn off your automatic irrigation timer.

If you haven’t already done so, use the 'off' 'stop' or 'rain' setting on your controller to stop the watering cycle without disturbing your programs (see a great how-to video from Town of Gilbert). In fact, any time you receive one-half inch of rain or more, we recommend that you stop the watering cycle on your controller to help save water and money.

If you missed our December Watering Reminder, find it here.

Why pay for water when it's free?

How much rainfall did you get?

If you don’t have a rain gauge, see what your neighborhood weather watchers are recording at www.rainlog.org. You can also find excellent information at the Maricopa County Flood Control rainfall data maps.

When do you turn your irrigation back on?

Keep an eye on your landscape to determine when you need to turn the controller back on. You can skip at least one, maybe two, irrigation cycles. For example, if you water your citrus every 2 weeks, turn it back on after 2-3 dry weeks.

+ + Bonus Tips + +

Take advantage of free water!

One inch of rain off a rooftop of a 1,500 square foot home can collect about 900 gallons of water! Add 3,000 square feet of landscape (a typical front and back yard) and you can collect another 1,800 gallons. That’s why it pays to look into rainwater harvesting techniques to keep this beneficial resource on your property.

This is a great time to observe how water is flowing off your home and property to see areas where you can collect rainwater.

Learn more on our Rainwater Harvesting page where we direct you to all the information you need to know.

Got weeds?

Don't forget that weeds may compete with landscape plants for water. After a good soaking rain like this is a great time to hand pull them. It's a lot easier to pull out the entire weed, roots and all.

-H2O-