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Charlie Traffas
Charlie Traffas has been involved in marketing, media, publishing and insurance for more than 40 years. In addition to being a fully-licensed life, health, property and casualty agent, he is also President and Owner of Chart Marketing, Inc. (CMI). CMI operates and markets several different products and services that help B2B and B2C businesses throughout the country create customers...profitably. You may contact Charlie by phone at (316) 721-9200, by e-mail at ctraffas@chartmarketing.com, or you may visit at www.chartmarketing.com.
Lawn, Garden & Landscaping
2008-07-01 15:11:00
Reducing water bill
Answer: Enjoying a lush, green lawn is the dream of many homeowners, but the cost of municipal water during the peak watering season can be a nightmare. This is because the municipalities bill for water usage on a tiered scale; the more water you use, the more it costs. For example, the City of Wichita has a three-tiered pricing structure based on winter water usage (not annual usage). The City averages your usage through the winter months to determine how much water you use per month when you’re not running the sprinklers. This amount is the average winter consumption, and is the basis for the first tier, or block 1. This block of water is billed out at the lowest rate, which is currently .88 cents per thousand gallons. As your usage exceeds this block by 110% to 310%, the rate is increased to $3.17 per thousand gallons. This is a rate increase of 360% for the extra water you use in the summer months-- in essence, lawn sprinkler water. Any usage above 310% of AWC is block 3, billed at $4.76, or a rate increase of about 540%! The bottom line: running lawn sprinklers on city water is a costly venture, and any steps to increase your system’s efficiency will pay dividends on your summer water bill. Here are some suggestions ranging from pricey to free: •Convert to well water. There is no better way to save on water than to pump it out of the ground your self. There are several well drilling companies serving Wichita and the surrounding area. Ground water availability, quality, and depth vary widely in our region, as does the price; check with a drilling professional. Changing the sprinkler over from city to well requires burying a few additional lines, and is usually less than a thousand dollars. If you plan to be in your home for a long time, this option becomes cost efficient. •Get a sprinkler overhaul. If your system is showing its age, it is costing you money. Your property may have changed significantly since the sprinkler was originally installed. Have a sprinkler professional change out leaky heads and move heads that have become blocked or buried due to plant growth. When you have your sprinkler started up for the season, make sure the technician walks the entire property—this is the time to find and repair any leaks! •Don’t water while Mother Nature is. Ever see a sprinkler watering during a rainstorm? There is an easy fix for this phenomenon called a rain sensor. It wires up to your control box and prevents the system coming on during or after sufficient rainfall. Rain sensors start at around $60 and are easily installed during a service call hour. (Derby recently implemented a code requiring rain sensors on all lawn sprinklers—even existing ones. Look for other municipalities to follow.) •Train your grass. You can actually make your lawn greener and heartier (and save money) just by resetting the timer on your sprinkler. Many lawn irrigation controllers have a default program that sets after a power interruption. This program is meant to be an emergency solution to keep the grass from dying, but you’d be surprised at how many clocks are set this way; running every zone for ten minutes every day. Letting the sprinklers run for short periods of time every day actually weakens the grass. The water never soaks in properly, prompting the roots to grow near the surface. This makes the grass more susceptible to the heat of the summer, and if you do have an interruption in the water schedule, the grass dies easily and quickly. Instead, start off watering only 3 days a week. In general, the larger rotor heads should run for 20 minutes, and the smaller fixed-pattern spray heads for 10 minutes. To avoid water run-off and maximize efficiency, split these run times into two separate start times that have several hours of soak-in time between them. This will allow the second watering to penetrate even deeper into the soil, allowing the grass roots to grow deeper. Also, watering earlier in the morning will help keep the wind from carrying your water into your neighbor’s yard. (Example: Days -- M W F , Start time 1 – 5:30am , Start time 2 – 7:30am , Zone run times – Rotors 10 min. Sprays – 5 min.)
 
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