Check your clocks and irrigation timers this weekend

As daylight saving time begins this Sunday, March 12th, the St. Johns River Water Management District is reminding Floridians to check their irrigation systems and ensure timers are operating correctly.

“More than half of all residential water is used outdoors for lawn and landscape irrigation,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Mike Register. “Much of that water can be saved by ensuring your irrigation system is working efficiently and by only watering when necessary.”

Public water supply is the largest category of water use in the District’s region — about 569.5 million gallons of water a day. Improving landscape irrigation practices can save water, improve your landscape, save money, and help protect water quality at the same time.

Overwatering can encourage mold and fungus, weaken grassroots, and promote weeds and undesirable insects. Water is wasted when broken or misdirected sprinkler heads spray water onto sidewalks and pavement, and water runoff from oversaturated yards often carries fertilizers, debris, and nutrients into natural waterways, which leads to poor water quality.

Watering restrictions are in place to ensure that water used for irrigation is used efficiently. During daylight savings time (the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November), irrigation is limited to no more than two days a week on the following schedule:  

• Wednesday and Saturday at addresses that end in an odd number or have no address.  
• Thursday and Sunday at addresses that end in an even number.  
• Tuesday and Friday at non-residential addresses.  
• No irrigation is allowed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.  

Water-saving tips can be found at www.WaterLessFlorida.com. 

Join the conversation at #sjrwmd #waterconservation. 

About the St. Johns River Water Management District

St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the District and the state of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The District encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Apopka, Jacksonville, and Palm Bay.

 For more information about the district, please visit www.sjrwmd.com.