Watering rules violations can be frustrating. But they’re also an opportunity to look closely at your water use — and avoid a hefty water bill.
While recent rainfall has been beneficial for many landscapes, it has not been sufficient to replenish the aquifer to levels that would bring us out of watering restrictions.
So, Stage 3 watering rules remain in effect. This means it’s still important to water only on your assigned day (based on street address).
That said, we’ve heard that some customers have received watering rules violations letting them know their irrigation system was observed operating on a day or time that wasn’t allowed. Although receiving a notice like this is frustrating, it does create an opportunity — to take a closer look at your water consumption and how it can impact your water bill.
Take this case for example. A SAWS patrol officer noticed several new homes in a row, all except one watering on the wrong day. The officer recorded the watering rules violations and they each received a notice. When the homeowners received the notices from SAWS, they checked their irrigation controllers and discovered it was watering every day. They were able to correct it.
Meanwhile, the homeowner who didn’t receive a violation was also watering every day, but later in the day so it went unnoticed. This continued for the rest of the month. It wasn’t until their enormous water bill arrived that they realized something was terribly wrong.
High bills like this are especially common for new homes. Typically, because the builder installs new grass sod and programs the irrigation system to run daily, way more often than necessary.
So, if you receive a notice from SAWS, immediately locate your irrigation control and pause it — then give us a call at 210-704-SAVE.
Our team of licensed irrigators are happy to help you program your controller per the watering rules and types of plants you have.
