Control Your Controller
Good programming of your irrigation controller is critical to saving water. One of the most common causes of high water bills is an improperly programmed irrigation controller. Some devices are not especially intuitive to use – and can end up running far more often than intended.
When it comes to irrigation in South Central Texas, all you need for a healthy landscape is a once-a-week deep watering in the absence of rainfall. We can show you how to program your controller in a few easy steps.
Setting your controller is as easy as 1-2-3
You only need to tell your controller three things to set it correctly.
- What time you want it to start.
- What day you want it to turn on.
- How long you want it to run each zone (station).
Don’t forget to make sure the date and time is set correctly on your controller and comply with your city’s watering rules!
Remember to turn off your controller in the winter!
Keeping it Under Control
Each landscape is different. Start with our recommended watering times and make adjustments based on your landscape’s unique conditions.
- Drip irrigation can use more water than you expect.
- The state of your soil matters! If your soil is very dry, you may need to add minutes if your plant material is struggling, or supplement with hand watering.
- Do all the sprinkler heads in a zone match? If you have two or more types, this can cause some plants to drown, while others are thirsty.
- Try a catch can test to measure how much water you are using and see if the water is being distributed evenly. You can always hand water areas that need additional water to avoid overwatering other areas.
- Use the seasonal adjust feature to save even more water— up to 30% of your annual outdoor use.
- Noticing a lot of runoff? Use a cycle-and-soak program.
- Learn more about how an irrigation system works.
Rule of Thumb
Use our recommended guidelines, then let your plants guide your final decision and remember there may be lots of reasons your plants don’t look as good as you want. Water is only one piece of the picture.
Once-a-week on your designated day:
- grass/sprays — 15-20 min
- grass/rotors — 25-35 min
- bed/spray — 12-18 min
Drip once per week on Friday:
- bed/drip— 12-18 min
Adjust seasonal percentage to:
- Jan/Feb 0%
- March 50-60%
- April 60-70%
- May 80-90%
- June 90-100%
- July/Aug/Sept 100%
- Oct 70-80%
- Nov 40-50%
- Dec/Jan 0%
Setting Your Irrigation for Success
Need help understanding your irrigation controller settings — or why sprinklers are coming on when you’re not expecting them?
Use these worksheets for a thorough evaluation of your current settings.
Understanding Watering Rules
Know When to Water
- Watering with a handheld hose is always allowed any time, any day.
- Year round rules allow watering with a sprinkler any day without runoff before 10 a.m. and after 9 p.m.
- To be sure you are always in compliance, set your irrigation system to Stage 2 rules, so if things change while you’re away – you’re good to go!
- During Stage 1, you can water with a sprinkler one day a week based on the last digit of your street address as shown in the left column of the table. Water before 10 a.m. and after 9 p.m.
- During Stages 2 and 3, your day remains the same but you may only water from 5-10 a.m. and 9 p.m.-midnight. Drip irrigation is allowed two days per week, on Monday and Friday only.
- You are never allowed to have runoff onto streets, parking lots and sidewalks as a result of irrigation.
- For additional drought rules, go to saws.org/WhenToWater.
| Last Digit of Address | Watering Day |
| 0 or 1 | Monday |
| 2 or 3 | Tuesday |
| 4 or 5 | Wednesday |
| 6 or 7 | Thursday |
| 8 or 9 | Friday |
| No watering on weekends |
Got Sprinklers?
Free Irrigation Consultations are available to homeowners with in-ground sprinkler systems. Our experts will check your system and make sure your controller settings match your landscape’s needs. You could also be eligible for an Irrigation Design Rebate.