Water Wise Denton

Your water footprint is the amount of water you use daily. Most of us are aware of the water we directly use for drinking, showering, irrigation, cleaning and more. Many of us may not be aware that we use much more water indirectly, for example, it takes over 500 gallons of water to make a quarter-pound hamburger! It takes 2,500 gallons of water to make a pair of jeans! If you add up our direct and indirect usage, the average Texan has a 1,800 gallon per day water footprint!

If you are curious to learn about your water footprint check out this water footprint calculator: https://watercalculator.org/wfc2/q/household/

We are excited to announce that we are moving forward on implementing a city-wide, twice a week watering schedule. The schedule is as follows:

This schedule has already gone into effect and should be adhered to. Thank you for helping us keep rates low - by watering on your designated days, we do not have to overdesign our system to accommodate irrigation demand spikes.

In anticipation of the new watering schedule, we have received a few questions regarding the rest of the metroplex. Here are the ways some of our neighbor cities have already implemented irrigation schedules. Please note, however, with all cities adhering to the May 1st Water Conservation Plan update, several cities will be further reducing the number of watering days.

Texas is managing existing water supplies to accommodate a growing population. The largest discretionary use of water is irrigation, but when properly managed, irrigation best practices can extend water supply. There can be confusion around the term irrigation, especially when referring to watering schedules. Below are answers to some frequently asked questions:

1. Do watering schedules include foundation watering?

Foundation watering by soaker hose is not considered irrigation and therefore not included in irrigation schedules. However, from June 1st - September 30th we ask to avoid watering foundations between peak demand hours 10am- 6pm.

2. I have a sprinkler that attaches to the end of my hose, does that count as irrigation?

Yes, automatic sprinklers, sprinkler systems, and hose end sprinklers are all considered irrigation and should follow irrigation schedules.

3. I have a drip irrigation system for my vegetable garden, am I subject to a watering schedule as well?

Drip irrigation is not included in the watering schedule, however drip irrigation systems are required to be properly installed and maintained in a manner that does not create runoff or cause spraying.

4. I am on a private well, am I subject to municipal watering schedules?

Properties on their own well are not drawing from the city water supply and therefore are not included in city irrigation schedules. If a schedule is implemented, we request that these properties either voluntarily follow the same address watering schedule or post a temporary sign stating that they are on a private well.

5. I am concerned my HOA will prohibit me from following a watering schedule, what do I do?

Good news! HOAs are subject to city, county and state watering directives, and must comply. Please feel free to reach out to us if you need additional support.

The warm April weather gives many people the urge to garden. Perennials are plants that return year after year to add beauty to your garden, and these plants are often pollinator habitats as well.

If you are planning to add perennials to your garden, an excellent choice for North Texas is Yarrow. Yarrow is a perennial that is drought tolerant, often seen growing in fields. Both the leaves and tiny clustered flowers have been historically used in teas and herbal medicine. This plant is deer and rabbit resistant, as well as insect resistant. It is one of the few plants that continues to offer blooms during the heat of midsummer, and once established has been known to thrive without irrigation.

Yarrow is readily available at garden centers and seed companies. It is so well suited to this area that many gardeners would be happy to divide and share their established plants.

WHAT IS GREYWATER?

Greywater is the name given to water that’s already been used for washing purposes, like laundry, handwashing, showering, and bathing (NOT water that’s been in contact with feces, like from the toilet or washing diapers). Greywater systems, then, are used to redirect and recycle this “once-used” water for other purposes. Greywater may look unclean (it does have the characteristic “grey” tint, after all), but it’s perfectly suitable for watering the garden, irrigating your lawn, and more.

IS GREYWATER SAFE FOR PLANTS?

For the purposes greywater typically serves, like irrigating lawns, ornamental gardens, or trees, greywater is safe (if you use the right cleaners and body care products) — and can even be beneficial. Greywater contains traces of dirt, food, grease, and hair, which become pollutants when released into bodies of water. But to plants, these things are nutrients and valuable fertilizers. This makes greywater an even better option for watering and irrigation than regular water!

Greywater systems are becoming increasing popular as water resources are being divided amongst more and more people. Greywater systems allow homeowners to separate and divert greywater from other genberated wastewater (used toilet water, etc...) and reuse that water for irrigation, cutting down on their water bill and cutting down on overall demand on our water system.

Installing a greywater system may or may not be right for you. There are many resources on the internet, including YouTube that can further detail greywater systems to help you decide if a greywater system could benefit you.

Yesterday we had our highest spring 2024 usage to date at 19.6 MIllion Gallons, we also received .93 inches of rain that day. please remember, sprinklers must be adjusted to accommodate for rainfall, newer sprinkler systems are equipped with rain sensors, and older models can be retrofitted with rain sensors.

Have you ever been in the middle of a Texas Summer and marveled at the prairie grasses and flowers? Somehow these plants thrive without irrigation, while lawn grasses are barely hanging on. Prairie Grasses (below) have massive root systems that sustain the plants. These root systems often exceed 6 feet deep.

. Compared with typical turf, St Augustine or Bermuda Grass (below), is much more resilient to drought. It's no wonder so many people are making the switch to native landscaping!