It’s still winter and your landscape is still snoozing. Your sprinklers should be too.
Recent freezes and rains have provided a timely reminder: winter is the perfect time to let your sprinklers slumber. After all, your summer lawn grass is snoozing too. And that’s a good thing, since we started the new year still under Stage 2 watering rules.
Though El Nino has provided a dose of welcome precipitation, it hasn’t rained enough to put an end to the ongoing drought. Even with recent rains, the water level of the J-17 well is still only at 644 feet — solidly within Stage 2 territory. That’s a measure of how deep of a deficit we’ve been in after back-to-back years of record heat and dry weather. In the city of San Antonio, that means Stage 2 watering rules — and enforcement of them — are still in effect.
As a reminder, under Stage 2, landscape watering with a sprinkler, irrigation system or soaker hose is allowed 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 still hand-water with a hose-end nozzle any time.
SAWS water enforcement officers continue to patrol neighborhoods, including gated communities, and they’re issuing fines — not warnings. So, make sure your irrigation system is set to water only on your day between 7 and 11. Even better: just turn off your irrigation system and run it manually, only as needed.
The good news is we’re still getting rain and it’s plentiful for your plants because they don’t need extra water this time of year anyway.
Remember to visit GardenStyleSA.com for weekly watering advice and landscaping tips to keep your yard thriving — even in drought.
