IRWD Customers Reduce Water Use 24% in October
During the month of October, IRWD customers used nearly 24 percent less water compared to October 2013. The District's five-month running water conservation total now stands at 17.8 percent, which is above the 16 percent total that was mandated for the District earlier this year by the California State Water Resources Control Board.
IRWD customers have saved 1.8 billion gallons of water since June 1st, putting IRWD 71 percent of the way toward reaching the overall water reduction goal, which must be met by February 29, 2016. Four months remain until the deadline for the District and its customers to achieve total water savings of nearly 2.5 billion gallons.
While El Niño is looking very likely this winter, its impact will not undo four consecutive years of a statewide, historic drought. IRWD is encouraging its customers to take advantage of the potentially wet weather by doing the following things:
- Give your sprinklers a winter break - Turn off your sprinklers and let Mother Nature take over during the cooler, wetter months. At a minimum, sprinklers should be left off ahead of, during and for two days after any rainstorm.
- Purchase one or more rain barrels - Put the rain falling on your property to good use, even days after any storms have passed. Rebates of $75 per barrel are available (Maximum of 4 rebates).
- Install a drought-tolerant landscape - Late Fall and Winter are optimal for planting. IRWD pays customers $2 per square foot for customers to replace their grass lawns with drought friendly gardens.
- Purchase a Weather-Based Irrigation Controller - These smart controllers automatically adjust your sprinkler run times to match changing climate conditions and turn off your sprinklers ahead of and during any rain events. Rebates of up to $80 per controller are available for residents with less than one-acre of landscape.
For more information, please visit the IRWD El Niño page. To find out which rebates IRWD offers to its customers, go to rightscapenow.com/rebates.
2015 Landscape Makeover Contest Winners
Nearly 700 IRWD customers participated in the first ever IRWD Landscape Makeover Contest. Three customers with the highest percentage reduction in water use were crowned as winners, while a fourth customer won a bonus prize for saving the most gallons of water overall.
Winners reduced their three-month water consumption by 66 to 80 percent compared to the same period last year. Each winner has been notified and will receive a new drought-tolerant landscape valued at up to $6,000. Thank you to all of the IRWD customers who participated in the contest. In total, more than nine million gallons of water was saved!
What are some of the actions the winners took to cut back on water use at their homes?
- Reduced outdoor water use
- Let grass go brown
- Cut outdoor watering to once per week
- Fixed leaks
- Took shorter showers
- Used sink and shower water for irrigation
- Flushed toilets less often
- Ran full loads of laundry
- Used shower water to flush toilets
- Relocated plants to be in groups with similar watering needs
IRWD will document the progress of each winner's landscape makeover project and post all of the best photos and other information online at rightscapenow.com.
Drought Survival Tips
Irvine Ranch Water District continues to offer customers a turf removal rebate of $2 per sq. ft. of grass removed. Check our website for turf rebate application information.
Want to replace your thirsty lawn with drought-tolerant landscaping, but don’t know how to start?
- Attend one of our RightScape Gardening workshops. Sign up on our website.
- Visit RightScapeResources.com to get landscape ideas, including choosing plants for your yard by color, sun needs, size and more!
- Take a self-guided tour of our Drought Tolerant Demonstration Garden at 15600 Sand Canyon Ave. in Irvine, open from dawn until dusk, 365 days of the year.
Your plants need less water in the fall, despite the occasional hot day. The days are shorter and evaporation is decreasing.
Take advantage of the IRWD Recycled Water Filling Station and receive free recycled water for your residential landscape needs. Full details and hours are posted on our website.
Switch to drip irrigation. Your outdoor monthly water allocation is now based on drought-tolerant landscape irrigated with an efficient irrigation system, such as drip. It is no longer based on warm season turf. If you have a lawn and maintain a weekly watering schedule with a sprinkler irrigation system, you will likely be over your allocation and your water bill could rise.
Visit our website for the current watering schedule. Begin with this schedule and adjust the times only if your plants show signs of stress.
Fall Back for Water Efficiency on Nov. 1
Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 1, so remember to set your clock back one hour before going to bed Saturday night.
The semi-annual time changes coincide with seasonal changes in weather, when irrigation controllers and sprinkler times should change. Water use lowers as the weather cools, so it’s a good idea to check your controller at the same time you change your clocks.
To ensure that your service is not interrupted, change the batteries in your controllers, as well.
Irvine Ranch Water District on Track to Meet State-Mandated Water Savings Target
The Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) remains on target through the end of September to achieve the 16 percent water use reduction mandate set for the District by the State Water Resources Control Board. Over the last four months (June 2015 to September 2015), IRWD customers have conserved nearly 1.3 billion gallons of drinking water, when compared to the same four-month period in 2013.
“We’re proud of the way our customers have saved water at their homes and businesses,” said Steve LaMar, President of the IRWD Board of Directors. “While we’ve done a great job of using less water this summer, we need to continue working hard to sustain this positive momentum during the fall and winter months, when it becomes more difficult to maintain higher levels of outdoor water conservation.”
IRWD is required to reduce District-wide water use by 16 percent by the end of next February. As of September 30th, the District was approximately 52 percent of the way toward meeting its goal, with five months remaining until the deadline.
The District has long been a leader in the areas of water use efficiency and recycled water programs and earlier this year, began significantly ramping up its efforts in order to meet the State’s mandatory savings target. These efforts included:
- Reducing outdoor potable water allocations district-wide to be based on a drought-tolerant landscape irrigated with an efficient irrigation system, such as drip. Previously, outdoor allocations were based on warm-season turf grass.
- Offering free on-site assistance to help customers reduce wasteful use.
- Providing free water savings recommendations specific to each customer’s household or business. Register for the WaterInsight Program at irwd.waterinsight.com
- Opening one of southern California’s first residential recycled water filling stations, where customers can go 7 days a week to fill up with up to 300 gallons of free recycled water for their landscapes.
- Expanding the District’s recycled water distribution system to new and existing customers. Every gallon of recycled water used saves a gallon of drinking water.
- Continuing to fund turf removal rebates at $2/square foot at a time when many other agencies have temporarily suspended their turf removal rebate programs.
- Increasing customer outreach to both residents and businesses, including hosting a Drought Survival Expo attended by over 1,500 customers and offering weekly drought-tolerant landscape workshops.
- Holding a competition that awarded free landscape makeovers to four IRWD customers who achieved the highest percentage reductions in water use during the summer months. Almost 700 customers participated in the competition, combining for more than 9 million gallons in water savings.
To learn more about the drought and for tips on how to save water, visit irwd.com/drought.
Additional information regarding the District’s Residential Recycled Water Filling Station can also be found online at irwd.com/recycled.
