Irrigation Usage in The Landings

Water use falls into a plethora of subcategories (e.g., drinking water, showers, operating a washing machine, et al.), while most outdoor usage is used for irrigation purposes. Surprising to some, irrigation water use accounts for 50% of all residential potable water.

Over the last several years, our community has made significant strides through water conservation in the form of the installation of shallow wells, reducing the turf footprint of lawns, installing smart sensors and clocks on irrigation systems, performing irrigation audits, and xeriscaping techniques.

The Landings’ average outdoor water use for the years 2009-2013 was 53%. Since 2014, our average outdoor water use has decreased by 8%, with an average of 45%. Although our community continues to implement water conservation methods inside and outside homes, improvements to reduce our overall water use still can be made by being cognizant of the following:

• Water early in the morning and late at night when the least amount of water will be lost to evaporation (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.).
• Water less frequently, but water deeply. This will promote plants to develop deeper root systems, which will reduce their need for supplemental watering. One inch of water per week (including rain) is a rule of thumb for keeping plants healthy.
• Adjust your sprinkler heads to avoid irrigating roads, sidewalks, and driveways.
• Take time to check your irrigation equipment and connections periodically. Look for leaks and broken or buried sprinkler heads.
• Install a drip or micro-spray irrigation heads. These systems place water on the root zone and use 30-to-50 percent less water. They also reduce disease problems with plants associated with water being sprayed directly on the foliage.
• If you have an irrigation system, consider upgrading to a smart controller/meter and installing a rain sensor (if you haven’t done so already!).
• Make sure to sign up for EyeOnWater to monitor your water use and receive notifications of leaks/high usage () and enter your service zip code and service account ID. EyeOnWater is also accessible through TLA’s app.
• Consider asking your lawn care provider to handle irrigation when you are out of town. That way, if it rains, your sprinklers won’t automatically be set and waste this precious resource.

   As a reminder, Chatham County's outdoor imposed watering restrictions are outlined below or you can view them by clicking here.

• Watering is not permissible between the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Outdoor watering is not allowed on Fridays.
• The following addresses can water, as indicated below:

   Utilities, Inc. provided the below graphs to reflect irrigation use versus rainfall for the years 2010-2019 and Indoor Use versus Outdoor Use for the years 2009-2019:

   If you have any questions about your water use or ways that you can conserve water, please call Utilities, Inc.’s Water Conservation Coordinator Lee Maine (912-598-0736).