North Texans are encouraged to tune up irrigation systems to avoid overwatering landscapes during the hottest summer months. July is Smart Irrigation Month which is a public awareness effort to promote efficient outdoor watering at a time when people typically water lawns more frequently. The campaign highlights the need to repair broken sprinkler heads and pipes, audit outdoor use to avoid water waste, install rain sensors, and utilize technology and tools to use water efficiently.
As part of this effort, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), in cooperation with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, is reminding home and business owners about WaterMyYard.org – a free online irrigation tool to receive a weekly text or email with advice on when and how much to water based on area weather conditions and rainfall. NTMWD has installed and maintains weather stations to collect real-time precipitation data in all its member and customer cities.
A new free mobile application is now available to download at WaterMyYard.org making it easier than ever to receive weather-based recommendations. Whether an area is suffering from drought conditions or has had too much rain, the program helps take the guesswork out of when and how much to irrigate.
“The new mobile-friendly app will help property owners receive watering recommendations and set their systems accordingly,” said Denise Hickey, NTMWD Public Education Manager. “It only takes a few short steps to set up your app and irrigation system to water your lawn based on actual weather conditions and type of landscape,” Hickey added.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service recently announced the addition of the app to the WaterMyYard program to help answer the common question: “When do you need to water your yard?”
“This app has several enhancements compared to the WaterMyYard website-based program we’ve offered the past few years which should improve user experience and the accuracy of water recommendations, including push notifications directly to the mobile device as well as texts and emails,” said Guy Fipps, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension irrigation engineer, College Station.
You can find more helpful water efficiency tips at NTMWD.com/help-us-conserve.