For those who didn’t know, San Antonio is in a drought-prone region. It’s nothing new — we always have been and always will be.
Despite that, our community has thrived by working together on water — from diversifying our supplies to saving water year in and year out.
But another key part of our water-saving success is having reasonable drought rules and following them diligently.
“The rules are intended to help everyone retain the health of their landscapes while cutting back on discretionary water use,” says Karen Guz, vice president-Conservation. “Some people think what they do at their home or business to save water doesn’t matter that much. But it does.”
Discretionary water use adds up to millions of gallons each day from thousands of irrigation systems and hose-end sprinklers. When that water use is not spread out per the watering rules, it strains the pipes that transport the water and can cause them to break.
“That means more people out in the heat making repairs and more water wasted when we need it most,” says Guz.
Working together as a community is how we avoid deeper restrictions — Stage 2 watering rules remain in place despite record-low Edwards Aquifer levels — and maintain water needs for our diverse economy.
If the constant drought has you down on your landscape this summer and last, visit GardenStyleSA.com for free WaterSaver landscape designs, free consultation services and loads of incentives to help you get what you want long-term. Did we say it’s free? Well, it is. In the meantime, please “Wrangle your water use” and follow Stage 2 watering rules.
That means landscape watering with a sprinkler, irrigation system or soaker hose only from 7-11 a.m. and 7-11 p.m., one day a week, based on the last number of your street address. You can always hand-water any ol’ time you want.
Visit saws.org/wrangle for more tips to wrangle your water use. And visit GardenStyleSA.com for weekly watering advice and landscaping tips to reduce outdoor water use while still keeping your yard thriving.
