City urging residents to conserve water

Apopka utility customers: Irrigate wisely

From the City of Apopka

The City of Apopka encourages utility customers to conserve water and to follow mandatory lawn irrigation restrictions amid a shortfall of rain for this part of Central Florida in recent months.

Rainfall around Orlando is as much as 11 inches below normal for the past six months – among the driest for this period in decades, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center. The U.S. Drought Monitor currently identifies the Orlando area south to Lake Okeechobee among the driest in the country.

Occasional rain showers forecast for the rest of this week will provide temporary relief to green-up grassy lawns. But much more precipitation is needed to overcome drought conditions. The City of Apopka urges residents and businesses to follow watering restrictions established by the St. Johns River Water Management District.

Homes with even-numbered addresses can water Thursdays and Sundays. Homes with odd-numbered or no addresses can water Wednesdays and Saturdays. Non-residential properties are Tuesdays and Fridays.

Water only when needed, and not between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Also, do not water more than one hour per zone in the yard.

To ensure that irrigation systems are working properly, the City of Apopka offers on-site evaluations that include checks for proper irrigation controller and rain sensor settings. A city representative also will check for any clogged, buried, broken, and misdirected sprays and provide tips for irrigating your lawn effectively and efficiently. To set up an appointment, call (407) 703-1731.

City officials can use readings from irrigation meters to help determine when lawns are watered too much or out of schedule. Officials also may travel around the city to verify that lawns are watered at proper times and days. The watering schedule can be enforced by fines although the city primarily aims to assist property owners with voluntary compliance.

Conservation is important when considering that more than half of a typical home’s water consumption is used for lawns. Irrigation systems can easily use up to 300 gallons or more water in just one hour.

A good rule is to provide no more than an inch of water for each irrigation time — you can check this by placing shallow cans around the yard (tuna cans work well) during watering periods. Then measure the depth of water collected in the can. More than an inch means you can reduce watering times for that zone of your lawn.

Landscape with plants that are best for Florida's climate and need little to no water other than natural rainfall. Water lawns in the early morning when temperature and wind speeds are lower.

Cut your grass at the highest recommended height for your turf or the highest setting on your lawn mower. Cut no more than one-third of the grass length at one time to encourage grass roots to grow deeper.