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How much water should I be using?
Did you know that more than 70% of Townsville’s water is used on residential lawns and gardens? Most of this water usage can be reduced by getting the basics right by knowing your soil, choosing the right turf for your conditions, and training your lawn to grow strong roots. All irrigation systems, sprinklers, and hoses water at different rates.
At PPS, we are the experts who know when and how long you need to water for and have the products to support it. We are the suppliers of all forms of irrigation including micro sprinkler and drip, hard and soft hose travelling irrigators, centre pivot and lateral irrigators and sub-surface drip irrigation.
Within the agricultural irrigation sector, PPS can offer windmills, impact sprinklers, filtration, valves and spare parts to suit. Dust suppression irrigation units are available to control dust in agricultural areas, through our range of products including full and part-circle sprinklers in a variety of trajectory, nozzle and coating options. Installation is available for large projects.
Top water saving tips
1. Install a drip or soak system. These systems direct the water to where it’s most needed, making your watering more efficient.
2. Install an automatic irrigation system to control the amount of water and times your will be watering.
3. Use water-saving watering devices including rotary sprinklers and trigger hand held attachments to hoses.
4. Use mulch to prevent water loss through evaporation and to prevent soil erosion. Mulch can also help to smother your weeds. If you live in a high bushfire risk area, check with the Country Fire Service (CFS) about the best way to use mulch.
5. Plant native plants for your area. Check with your local nursery and choose the best varieties for your garden.
6. Plant your garden in watering zones, known as hydrozoning. Grouping plants that require similar amounts of water will help you control your water use.
7. Choose a drought resistant lawn, and train it to use less water. It will encourage the roots to grow deeper. You can also set your mower blades higher during summer to let your lawn grow longer. Keeping grass longer shades the soil surface and reduces evaporation loss.
8. Use a tree watering ring around your trees to enable targeted watering and mulching. It can also reduce water use.
9. Waterproof terracotta pots before you use them. Terracotta pots are porous and allow moisture to escape rapidly.
10. Keep outdoor pools and spas covered. Not only will the cover help keep them clean, the covers will reduce evaporation.
11. Park your car on the lawn before you wash it to stop water running off into the stormwater drain. Alternatively, check out your nearest car washes and find one that recycles its water.
12. Clean paved areas with a broom or rake. Hosing them down is usually unnecessary and just wastes water.
Source: Townsville City Council Lawn Care Guide