When water officials talk about simple ways to conserve, they often say that properly timing lawn irrigation is one of the easiest ways people can become a good stewards of our water supply.
So you can imagine my surprise when I witnessed a landscaper here at our office complex in Liberty Station, out with a hose in the middle of our lush lawn area, watering at 1:45 p.m. on a sunny day.
So, I decided to chat with Walters Management, which oversees Liberty Station. Kelly Koontz, manager of the Liberty Station Community Association told me the group had landscapers out there today to irrigate “hot spots” on the grass to keep it from dying.
“We’ve cut the clocks way back because it’s been overcast and kind of cool. And by doing that we actually have hot spots in the middle of the promenade and so that’s why they were hand watering to prevent the grass from dying,” she said.
Fair enough. But why water in the middle of the day?
“We don’t have crews here at night time,” she said. “In the landscape contract with the association, their working hours are from 7 to 3.”
So why not water closer to 7 a.m., when the sun isn’t beating down on the grass, when more water will be retained into the soil?
“I mentioned that to them,” she said.
If you’ve had a similar observation, feel free to drop me a comment in Credentialed (if you’re not there already) or send me an e-mail at sam.hodgson@voiceofsandiego.org. I’d also like to know where water could be better conserved in your neck of the woods.