Outdoor Water Conservation

The City’s source of water supply from groundwater wells, combined with an emphasis on water conservation have positioned the City well heading into the future.  However the City is encouraging water conservation through water wise irrigation practices that includes irrigation restrictions between the hours of 10 am to 7 pm and no use of hoses for irrigation unless under direct supervision.

Lawn Watering

• Adjust sprinklers to water only grass areas and not impervious surfaces such as streets, driveways and walkways.
• Mow grass to a height of 2 1/2 to 3 inches. Taller grass shades the roots and soil surface, which helps reduce the amount of water that is lost to evaporation.
• Use sprinklers that spray low large drops vs. high fine ones.
• Use hand held soakers for small trees, shrubs and plants
• Use shut off nozzles on hoses and repair leaky hoses and fittings.

When To Water 

• About one inch of water per week (including precipitation) is adequate for maintaining a healthy lawn. Use a can or rain gauge to help determine the amount of water applied by the sprinkling system and supplied by rainfall.
• Don't use a fixed schedule for lawn watering. Apply water only when it is needed. Over watering can promote diseases and affect the health of the lawn.
• A simple test for determining if grass needs water is to walk on the lawn and if you leave foot prints, it may be time to water the lawn.
• Using a spade or gardening tool to check soil conditions 2 to 6 inches below the surface can provide information on soil moisture and the need to water.
• A good soaking once or twice a week is better than watering every day. Allowing the soil to dry between watering will allow the roots to grow to greater depths and help make turf more drought tolerant.

Best Times For Lawn Watering

• Water during the cool part of the day to minimize water lost to evaporation. Early morning hours (4 a.m. to 8 a.m.) are the best, and the peak water consumption hours (4 p.m. to 9 p.m.) should be avoided.
• Avoid watering during midday hours when it is hot and sunny to prevent scalding the turf.
• Watering at night is not recommended because the lawn stays wet for a long period of time which can promote diseases and affect the health of your lawn.
• Avoid watering during rainy or windy weather conditions.

Automatic Lawn Watering Systems 

• An automatic timer is part of most buried sprinkler systems, but can be added to any sprinkler system for a very low cost. Automatic timers make it easy to set sprinkling systems to apply specified amounts of water during the best times of the day.
• Set systems to turn on between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. in the morning.
• Set the system to turn on for three 10 minute sessions with each session 2 hour apart to improve water infiltration and reduce runoff.
• Equip the system with moisture sensors so the system does not turn on when it is raining.
• Set the automatic timer to water every 3 or 4 days adjusting the time and frequency, as needed, to accommodate changes in seasonal water demand.

Water Tips for Cold Winter Weather

Every winter we receive those dreaded calls from property/business owners with broken water pipes and they do not know how to shut off their water.  We are here to respond as quickly as possible but In all of these cases time is critical and knowing where and how to shut off your water is imperative to minimizing property damage.

Mark Your Water Main Shutoff

Know where your main water shut-off valve is outside of your home. Typically they are located 18-inches from the foundation wall where the water line enters the building. It is very important to know where this valve is located because if a pipe bursts anywhere in the house – kitchen, bath, basement, or crawl space – this valve turn will turn it off. Be sure everyone in the family knows where it is and what it does. Remember that in Central Oregon the snow can pile up in the yard, so use a snow stake painted blue to mark the location of the shut-off valve and/or water meter. This will allow you and others to find the valve quickly in an emergency. 

IF YOU CAN’T FIND YOUR WATER METER: Please call (541) 323-5220.

Seal Out Cold Air

Caulk around pipes where they enter the house and close all foundation vents. This will stop cold winter air from blowing into your house. Open foundation vents are probably the greatest cause of frozen or split water pipes. You will not only protect your pipes, but you may also reduce your winter heating needs. Be sure to remember to open the foundation vents again in the spring to prevent moisture damage and dry rot.

Protect Outside Pipes and Faucets

For newer homes, the outside hose bibs are frost free, meaning that the shut off valve is actually located deep inside the insulated wall. If you are not sure if the hose bib is frost free, when you turn it off and water continues to drain for a few seconds, this is a good indication that the hose bib is frost-free. If you are not sure or if you do not have a frost-free hose bib, then you will need to wrap the hose bib with newspapers or rags covered with plastic, fiberglass, or molded foam-insulating covers to wrap the faucet. Pre-made molded foam insulating covers are available at most plumbing and hardware stores. In some homes, the outside faucet may have a separate shut-off in the basement or crawl space. If you do have a separate valve for outside faucets, shut it off. Then go outside and turn on the faucets to drain water from the line.

Disconnect Garden Hoses from the Faucets

Prevents faucets from trapping water and freezing by disconnecting garden hoses. With our Central Oregon winter climate it is a good idea to not only drain the garden hoses, but also store them inside a protected area. This will make them last longer.

Winterizing Your Irrigation System Safely

Many irrigation systems require blowing the system out with compressed air from a large compressor. Compressed air presents a public health risk to the water system as it can push contaminated water back into the drinking water system if not done properly! When paying for winterization using compressed air, Oregon law now requires use of a licensed landscaping business with the proper equipment and training to avoid potential damage to both your irrigation system and the public water system. 

Though do-it-yourselfer’s will still be allowed, all must follow proper procedures to prevent blowing contaminated water backwards into the drinking water system. We recommended checking with the Oregon Landscape Contractors Board,  or call them at 503-967-6291 to verify that the landscaping business is properly licensed with either an “All-Phase plus Backflow” or “Irrigation Only plus Backflow” license and learning how to “winterize safely”. 

Fire Sprinkler Systems Need Protection Too

Some newer homes and many businesses have fire sprinkler systems. Call a licensed fire-sprinkler system professional to determine if your system is protected from freezing.