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TAYLORSVILLE — In the midst of this drought, many Utahns have been trying to find new ways to save on outdoor watering. Imagine trying to do that when you are responsible for dozens of acres of landscaping. KSL-TV caught up with Joel Evans, the grounds manager at Salt Lake Community College, to pick up a few tips for saving water for all of us.
Evans is responsible for more than 60 acres of landscaping. With more than 950 different irrigation zones, he knew there were ways to save a substantial amount of water. So far, the college cut water consumption this season by 31%.
"I was actually surprised at how well things are doing for the amount that we've cut back," Evans said, as he showed us around the Taylorsville campus.
Heading into this watering season, he knew the college would have to cut back, just like everybody else. Due to the extended drought, the school already cut water consumption in recent years and made significant adjustments last summer.
"One of the hottest, driest on record last summer. So, we were already kind of gearing up," Evans said.
In April, the grounds crew held some meetings and set new goals.
"What are some things we can do different? Things that we can improve upon?"
They xeriscaped a large grassy courtyard area, converting 2 1/2 acres of thirsty turf into a drought-tolerant zone with shade trees, rock gardens and sitting areas.
"It still feels nice," he said. "But, it's significantly reduced the amount of water we're using."
They trimmed watering times 20% in each of the 950 watering zones. That's something, he suggested, every homeowner can do when they're adjusting their irrigation system.
"Some zones we have down 40%. Other zones we might just be down 5%. Depending on the location and exposure," Evans said.
They raised the blade height on their lawnmowers from 3.5 to 4 inches to reduce stress on the grass. They water only twice a week, at the governor's request, on a smart system that adjusts watering based on the weather.
"Additionally, any chance we get, if there's any rain we're shutting down," Evans said. "We're shutting everything down for a day, two days, even three days."
Related:
Lawn' is becoming a 'four-letter word' amid Utah's dire drought
Raising water rates on big water users. Paying Utahns to rip out their lawns. Increased xeriscaping.These conservation efforts are already happening or expected to happen in the near future in southern Utah — and some Wasatch Front cities have already adopted ordinances to limit lawns in new developments.They monitor and repair the system daily. Their technology helps them find zones where they may have a high flow or low flow issue indicating that a sprinkler head may need to be fixed.
"It will send us an alert anytime we have a broken head, anytime we have a valve that gets stuck on which isn't infrequent," he said.
Members of the grounds crew regularly walk the landscape to check for heads that need to be repaired. That's another water savings solution he suggests for the average homeowner.
"Just walk it," Evans said. "Take a look. Probe the soil. See how wet it is. See how dry it is. Watch your plants and let that tell you where you can cut time."
The grounds manager said there's always more work to be done and more water savings to be found. Right now, they're targeting parking strips and parking lot islands for low water solutions.
