Landscape Water Savings Calculators

Water savings calculators estimate approximate water use in the landscape and are a great way to take the guesswork out of how much water is being used.

Irrigating properly is often a time consuming and frustrating activity. Try out these calculators and see if they simplify the irrigation scheduling process.

There’s an app for that! Visit Hunter Industries website to download the water savings calculators app.

Landscape Water Savings Tools

EPA GreenScapes Tools
Hunter

How to Do Your Own Water Audit

Landscape irrigation accounts for up to 60% of total household water use. The lawn accounts for the majority of this use. Finding the amount of water currently used on a lawn can be compared with what the lawn requires and potentially save water by altering irrigation times and adjusting heads. 

Checking how much water is used is not difficult and can be done using simple supplies. Basically, all that is needed are:

  • Straight-sided cans
  • A measuring device
  • Simple mathematical calculations

Dangers of Excess Water on Xeric Landscapes

Over time, excess water on xeric landscapes can affect the health of drought tolerant plants.  It is estimated that up to 80% of plant death is due to over-watering. Symptoms of drought stress can be similar to those of overwatering.

Drought tolerant plants tend to reduce their growth under low water conditions. This may affect the aesthetics of the plant tricking homeowners into applying more water than necessary in order to “correct” what is seen as symptoms of lack of …

Drip Irrigation Systems

Drip irrigation systems technology consists of a system of plastic pipes that transfers water under low pressure to plants. The water is applied much more slowly than with sprinklers. Spray is minimized and point watering is possible.

Drip irrigation systems are a great option for a water-wise landscape. Drip irrigation is a much more efficient way to apply water to landscape plants as compared to sprinkler systems which are only about 65-75% efficient.

Drip irrigation systems apply water at a …

Different Kinds of Sprinkler Irrigation Systems

Outdoor irrigation accounts for up to 60% of residential water use in some parts of the US.

The type of irrigation method for delivering water to plants plays a large role in the amount of water used and the effectiveness of the irrigation system.

Turf generally requires more water than bedding plants, shrubs, and trees, therefore, design the irrigation system with this in mind.

Sprinkler Head Types

Rotary Heads

  • Large spray radius (15-50 ft.) – Good for large areas
  • Low

Grouping Plants into Hydrozones

Grouping plants into hydrozones is an approach to irrigation and planting design where plants with similar water needs are grouped together.

Ideally, each zone of the irrigation system will supply plants with the same water needs with the appropriate amount of water.

Turf areas and planting beds have different water needs and should be zoned separately. Trees and shrubs generally need deep watering less frequently while turfgrass needs more frequent watering.

Unfortunately, many irrigation systems are set to water all …