Water Conservation

Drip irrigation and other practices can save water & money.

In your Backyard

If you rely on watering to make your lawn grow and your garden productive, consider a more efficient system. There are several ways to improve the use of water.

Watering to save energy

Whenever practical, water in the early morning. In arid areas, it’s okay to water in the evenings and at night. You’ll lose less water to evaporation than if you watered in the middle of the day, and the plants are less stressed and can take up the water more efficiently.
Mulch or fiber cloth pre serves soil moisture. You can find supplies and information at a nursery or hardware store. Also, consider planting native species and trees. They usually use little or no water beyond normal rainfall.

Drip irrigation benefits

A drip irrigation system (like the one pictured above) will provide water directly to the plant. You can control the flow to each plant. Drip irrigation ranges from inexpensive soaker hoses to elaborate computerized systems. There may be an up-front investment, but you’ll use less water and have better water distribution. Garden or hardware stores will have the supplies you need. You may even want to engineer your own system from a garden hose. Be sure not to over apply fertilizer when using a drip system.

Watering lawns

The worst possible irrigation program is to water turf daily for 5-10 minutes. An efficient and economical way to irrigate a lawn is to apply water at the first signs of water stress. Research has shown that turf watered at the first signs of visual wilt used 33 percent less water. Watering for a slightly longer period promotes deeper root growth. Hawaii turf grasses require no more than 3/10 inch of water per day in mid-summer and about 1/5 inch or less in the cool winter months. Select turf grass for its relative drought tolerance. In order of the most drought tolerant is burmudagrass, zoysiagrass, St. Augustinegrass, seashore paspalum, centipedegrass, carpetgrass, hilograss, and akiaki.

Additional Resources

• www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ctahr2001/PIO/FreePubs.asp
• www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/index.htm
• www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/greenbusiness
• www.hawaii.gov/health/oeqc/garden/index.html

Source: "Hawaii Backyard Conservation" (PDF), The U.S. Department of Agriculture.