A: The Water Stewardship Act of 2010 set forth guidelines to promote water conservation during non-drought times. Despite very little rainfall in metro Atlanta so far this month, we are not in a drought, so the statewide act allows for daily outdoor watering of plants, ground cover, trees, shrubs, and other plants only before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. There are a few exceptions to this.

To prevent low water pressure, some areas of Georgia are asking residents to stick to the odd-even outdoor watering schedule. City of Savannah and Monroe and Oconee Counties for example ask that odd-numbered addresses water only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays between midnight and 10:00 am. Even-numbered homes can water on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays in that same time frame.

UGA Extension Plant Pathologist Jean Woodward points out a downside to panicked watering is the emergence of lawn diseases. She says, “during the periods of drought, water usage often goes up. Homeowners go from not using their lawn irrigation system to watering every other day. This can lead to Large Patch in warm season lawns.” Good practices include not over-irrigating turf and not ‘putting the grass to bed wet’.

Do your part. Some water saving tips from the Georgia Green Industry Association are as follows:

° Use a rain gauge to determine how much it has rained over the week before watering outdoor plants.

° Identify water stress in plants. Leaves could have scorched edges, roll or curl in the hotter part of the day. Plants may also drop leaves earlier than normal. Water just at the base of the plant.

° Watering in several short sessions instead of one long session. This reduces runoff and allows water to penetrate soil and plant roots.

° Use drip irrigation and soaker hoses that deliver water directly to the root zone of plants with less evaporation.

° Have your irrigation system audited by a Certified Irrigation Professional to check for leaks and to insure it is running at maximum efficiency.

° Install a rain water cutoff to prevent your automatic irrigation system from watering when its raining.

° Right plant, right place! Plant tags indicate a plant’s preferred amount of sunlight, and Certified Plant Professionals can help you put the right plant in the right place to minimize water needs.

° (this one from Ashley) Recycle clean, drinking water from inside for birds and insects outside. Keep shallow dishes filled with clean water in areas where they frequent.

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