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Plant the right plants with proper landscape design and irrigation.
Whether you are putting in a new landscape or slowing changing the current landscaping at your home, select plants that are appropriate for your local climate conditions. Having a yard with 100 per cent lawn turf area in a dry climate uses significant amounts of water. Also consider the trend towards xeriscaping and natural landscaping.
Water only what your plants need.
Most water is wasted in your garden by watering when your plants do not need the water or by not maintaining the irrigation system. If you are manually watering, set your oven timer or some other reminder to move the water promptly. Make sure your irrigation controller has a rain shutoff device and that it's appropriately scheduled. Most water is wasted in months prior to or just after the rainy season when intermittent rains occur.
Check irrigation and sprinklers for leaks.
Another large water waster can be leaks in your irrigation system. Fix irrigation system leaks quickly and check for water in the gutters or mud puddles. Inspect your sprinklers and drip sprayers regularly for leaks during the daytime since the optimal time to water is in the nighttime hours when you cannot observe leaks. If you have an older irrigation system, over 50 per cent (and sometimes more than 75 per cent) of the water it uses can be lost to leaks.