1 ORANGE SPIEL • April - May 2012 - Home | Orange County Gov FL

WATER CONSERVATION MONTH
Conserving Water
Saves Our Planet!
By Terri Thill, Utilities Department
Water Matters!
Since 1998, Orange County Utilities along with the State
of Florida have celebrated April is Water Conservation
Month to help promote the importance of using water
wisely both indoors and out.
Unlike gas or coal, water is a renewable resource. It goes
through a cycle of evaporation and condensation so that it is
constantly on the move and easily available. For this reason,
some people feel it’s not very important to make a conscious
effort to conserve water. However, people who choose to take
long showers or run the sprinklers
after a major rainfall and do not
conserve this precious resource use
it faster than it can be replenished,
leading to a shortage of fresh
available water. Increased conservation
today will delay the
need to implement expensive
alternative
water supplies
Florida-friendly plant: in the future.
bush daisy
If you haven’t
thought about
conserving water, now is a great time to start,
especially since 50 to 70 percent of the water
you use goes directly outdoors for irrigation and
there are many easy ways to save. Conserving water
can also lower your monthly water bill!
Thinking About Resodding Your Lawn?
Why don’t you rethink this plan and use Florida-friendly
plants instead? Maintain and even improve the value of your
home by removing some of your turf and extending your
landscaping. Install waterwise plants like salvia, butterfly
bush, pentas, beach sunflower, and plumbago that once established
will add color,
depth, and beauty
to your property,
all while conserving
water. Some
plants even attract
butterflies and
hummingbirds.
Groundcovers
such
as perennial
peanut and sunshine
mimosa
may also be
a good replacement
Florida-friendly landscaping
for your sod. They may not be readily available at
your neighborhood ”big box” home improvement
store, but there are some local nurseries that are
dedicated to providing quality plants for Florida
yards.
Websites highlighting various waterwise
plants that thrive in shady or sunny
spots, as well as in sandy or wet soils }
www.PlantRealFlorida.org
www.Floridata.com
http://fyn.ifas.ufl.edu
The Catch Can Test
Use the catch can test to determine how long your irrigation system needs
to run in each zone. Follow these steps:
• Place flat-bottom cans (about the size of a tuna
can or other same-size container) throughout
the first zone.
• Use a ruler to measure ½ inch from the bottom
of each can and mark with a permanent marker.
• Turn on the irrigation for that zone and see how
long it takes for most of the cans to reach the
marker line.
• This will determine the amount of
time you will need to set on the
controller for this zone.
• Empty the cans and repeat these
steps for each zone in your yard.
• Adjust your irrigation controllers so
only the needed water amount is
applied.
12 ORANGE SPIEL • April - May 2012