The news is the same everywhere: growing populations require more water, and the supply is limited. Add the changing climate to the mix and we can bank on more frequent and persistent periods of drought. Finding new water sources and ways to supply that water are too often economically out of reach. All this is driving more cities and municipalities across the country to move beyond temporary drought measures and adopt permanent changes to how available water is used.
Some of the more common policies, such as prohibiting washing driveways or vehicles at your home, banning water runoff from your yard, and even outlawing irrigation altogether are challenging some communities with change.
Home irrigation is the number one contributing factor to water waste.
Irrigation is the water-hog at homes across America. Not only is it the biggest use of our water supply, studies show that most homeowners over-water landscapes by as much as two to three times the amount needed.
Did you know? According to USGS, when you consider water use in all sectors nationwide–not just residential–irrigation is among the top three. A full 24% of all the water used across America is to water our landscapes, third only to the entire public supply (30.5%) and all industrial use (27.6%).
Currently, in The Woodlands, the Woodlands Joint Powers Agency (WJPA) and the 10 Municipal Utility Districts it represents, require residents to follow the Defined Irrigation Schedule. Even numbered houses can water Wednesday and Saturday only, and odd numbered houses are limited to Tuesday and Friday. All homes must irrigate between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. only. Remember: Starting mid-October, residents are encouraged to turn off irrigation systems through mid-April. There are no plans to discontinue the Defined Irrigation Schedule, at this time, and it will continue indefinitely.
There is good news…The Woodlands residents have embraced this policy and have made a big impact on water conservation. Two white papers, published by National Wildlife Federation and Sierra Club, have praised The Woodlands and its residents for exemplary work in water conservation. The Woodlands has also received several coveted state awards for water conservation. Nice going!
Since the inception of the irrigation schedule policy, The Woodlands residents have saved approximately
10 billion gallons of water.
