Marin IJ Articles

Ways to be water-wise

• Ron Filson

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  Dig down or use a simple water moisture meter after your irrigation system runs to check its efficiency. Photo: Wikimedia

  If you are working to reduce your water bill, consider reviewing your current usage. We all understand the importance of conserving water in the household. Your garden is one of the easiest places to reduce your water consumption. Several studies have demonstrated that 50% of residential clean drinking water is used outdoors and most frequently to water gardens. Watering regimens, especially automated systems, need to include simple testing, regular observation, and periodic adjustment.

  Ideally, in our winter wet, summer dry climate, you should only provide supplemental water during a few months in the summer and only if the plants look stressed. Exceptions are if you have turf lawns or food gardens. The goal is healthy plants throughout the year. Consider redesigning your garden with plants that thrive in the various microclimates in our area. That will help you to have a garden you can enjoy year-round.

  Properly hydrated plants will maintain optimum health without wasting water and are one of the elements of a fire-smart landscape plan. The most straightforward test for your irrigation system efficiency is to wait a little while after watering an area, dig down a couple of inches, and note if the soil is damp. Another option is to purchase a moisture meter for the task. The same idea applies to potted plants. Please note that too dry soil can be very difficult to re-moisten. Likewise, water runoff on the ground or from your pots may indicate that your manual or automated system is overwatering the area. A little investigation will show you what you need to adjust. 
  
  

  

  Adding compost and mulch to your garden regularly increases soils ability to retain moisture. Photo: MPCA photos

  Regularly adding compost and mulch to garden beds has been demonstrated to be very effective in holding moisture in and reducing evaporation from the soil. Continuing to add compost year after year will improve the soil water retention and benefit the soil biome, the many organisms that make the soil more livable for plants. The recent legal mandate to control organic waste in landfill is making quality compost readily available. If you don’t have sufficient space or don’t want to commit the time and effort to compost the organic material produced by your garden and home, use your compost bin. 

  Rain catchment systems are an excellent way to capture water, even if it is only used to water house plants. In most local areas, homeowners can collect rainwater and have the additional benefit of being the right pH for plant health. Rainwater also doesn’t contain the chemicals added to city water to sanitize for drinking and protect pipes from corrosion. As with greywater systems, many system designs are available for the DIY-er or contractor, with commercially available components ranging from simple and inexpensive to complex and pricey.

  Greywater systems capture sink, shower, and laundry water, and can provide supplemental water for garden beds and trees. For people living with septic systems, there are aerobic modifications available that will allow you to utilize the water portion in your landscape safely.

  

  Vegetable gardens and turf can be exceptions to a low-water-use garden but consider reducing or eliminating your lawn. Photo: Wikimedia

  If you live in either Marin Water or North Marin Water District, both organizations have rebates and incentive programs to help conserve and better utilize water. You’ll find those programs online at https://www.marinwater.org/rebates and www.nmwd.watersmart.com. Marin Water currently offers Flume water meters at a subsidized cost, while North Marin customers have digital meters installed. Both systems allow you to view your water usage by day and hour. Seeing when and how much water you are using can guide your decisions around conservation.

  Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) and other organizations have resources available for rural properties. UC Marin Master Gardeners and Marin Municipal Water District will do a site visit and provide homeowners in Marin with information and advice on improving their irrigation practices to help conserve Marin’s precious water resources. For more information, look into the Marin Master Gardener’s Garden Walks program at https://marinmg.ucanr.edu/.