However, if your sprinkler system is not thoughtfully designed and carefully maintained, it may use more water than your lawn needs. A sprinkler system that wastes water isn't just bad for the environment - it's also bad for your finances and can drive up your monthly water bills dramatically.

Fortunately, you can take simple steps to reduce water waste and make your lawn sprinklers more efficient.

Perform Maintenance & Repairs

Modern sprinkler systems are usually quite robust and easy to maintain, but that doesn't mean you can just install them in your lawn and forget about them. All lawn sprinkler systems should be regularly maintained as well as inspected for leaks and other damages that may increase water consumption.

Inspecting and maintaining the system's sprinkler heads is a fairly simple job since any damage they suffer will be easy to spot. Replacing damaged sprinkler heads is also relatively simple and inexpensive and is one of the easiest ways to improve your system's efficiency.

However, a sprinkler system's underground components, such as the water lines and pump(s), are more difficult to inspect. Even if you manage to dig your way down to them without destroying your lawn, pinprick leaks and other damages that may cause water waste can be difficult to spot. You might also accidentally damage delicate components while you are digging.

Calling in a professional lawn irrigation service to inspect and maintain these components is a much easier and safer option. Professional irrigation repair services use water pressure sensors and other specialized equipment that allow them to check for damage in underground components without excavating your prized lawn.

Avoid Over-Spray

Over-spray occurs when your sprinkler heads spray water onto pavements, driveways, and other concrete or asphalt surfaces, and it is a major cause of water waste in lawn sprinkler systems.

During hot weather, the water sprayed onto these surfaces will evaporate and be completely wasted. The problem can get even worse in cold weather; run-off from the over-spray can leave some parts of your lawn completely flooded, while others wilt and die from lack of sufficient water.

Over-spray is usually caused by misaligned sprinkler heads, which can be easily knocked out of place by lawnmowers, toys, and other moving objects. You can usually shift these misaligned sprinkler heads back into place by hand, although you should check for any damage while you do so.

However, if your sprinkler system was poorly designed or installed, some of your sprinkler heads may cause over-spray purely because of where they are placed. In these situations, you should have the over-spraying heads removed and replaced with other heads in more suitable positions.

Replace Aging Systems With Smart Technology
Lawn irrigation technology has advanced significantly in recent years. If you have used the same sprinkler system for more than a decade, you may be wasting water simply by using a system that doesn't meet modern efficiency standards.

If you have an aging, inefficient sprinkler system, invest in a smart irrigation system to replace it. Conventional sprinkler systems are activated and deactivated by simple timers, but smart irrigation systems use much more sophisticated methods to maximize water efficiency.

Using a combination of weather sensors, soil moisture sensors, and water pressure regulators, these systems can direct water to the parts of your lawn that need it most, while reducing water flow to parts of your lawn that retain more water (such as shaded areas). They can also shut off automatically during wet weather, saving even more water.

These are just some of the ways you can reduce water waste and make your lawn sprinkler system more efficient and eco-friendly. For more advice, contact the lawn irrigation experts at Smith Irrigation.