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Home My WebLink About06A recent Water Conservation Survey conducted for the City of Pocatello showed that - 97% of those answering- questions -would be interested in -spending -less -time and money watering a lawn if they thought it could still be attractive. The same study suggests that many people water and mow their lawns more than necessary for healthy maintenance; in fact, some practices have a negative impact. A number of those surveyed expressed concern about the amount of water being applied to large areas by institutions and businesses. The majority of respondents also believed that education is better than government regulation for achieving goals of conservation. This program provides the opportunity for everyone to become a better guardian of our valuable water resource. WATERING DO'S AND DON'T'S DO: *water only when necessary *water only as much as needed *water in the morning or evening DON'T: *use sprinklers during rainstorms *use sprinklers if it's windy *let water run into gutters Sunny spots need more water than those that are shaded, but sprinkling during the heat of the day results in waste from evaporation, and watering in full sunshine causes the lawn to burn. If a probe (e.g., a screwdriver) inserted into the ground is moist at a depth of 34", or if you leave no footprints when walking on a lawn, it does not need water. Apply only 1-2" of water at a time. The amount can be measured by setting a pan under the sprinkler. Watering could take as little as 1/2 hour. HELPFUL HINTS FOR MOWING --If you can, use a mulching mower. (It may be possible to convert your present mower.) Shredded clippings protect roots from the sun and add nutrients to the soil. --Set your mower so it cuts blades of grass at an average height of 2". Shorter grass i;s more likely to burn and look brown. - --Allow grass to become 3-4" tall. Mow according to blade height, rather than on a regular schedule. Growth is rapid at the beginning of the season but slows with the heat of summer. --Recycle your grass clippings if you don't mulch them into the lawn. Scatter them in flower beds, around other plants, or in the rows of a garden to retain moisture and reduce weeds. You can also recycle them into a compost bin and spare the landfill. OUTDOOR WATER USE z o ANEWSLETTERIssue #1, June 1996 �� This public information project is sponsored by the Chubbuck- w Pocatello Groundwater Guardian Committee as part of its 1996 `ITER enrollment with the national Groundwater Foundation. Our purpose is to provide residents of the greater Pocatello area with alternatives to costly water consumption in the care of their yards. A recent Water Conservation Survey conducted for the City of Pocatello showed that - 97% of those answering- questions -would be interested in -spending -less -time and money watering a lawn if they thought it could still be attractive. The same study suggests that many people water and mow their lawns more than necessary for healthy maintenance; in fact, some practices have a negative impact. A number of those surveyed expressed concern about the amount of water being applied to large areas by institutions and businesses. The majority of respondents also believed that education is better than government regulation for achieving goals of conservation. This program provides the opportunity for everyone to become a better guardian of our valuable water resource. WATERING DO'S AND DON'T'S DO: *water only when necessary *water only as much as needed *water in the morning or evening DON'T: *use sprinklers during rainstorms *use sprinklers if it's windy *let water run into gutters Sunny spots need more water than those that are shaded, but sprinkling during the heat of the day results in waste from evaporation, and watering in full sunshine causes the lawn to burn. If a probe (e.g., a screwdriver) inserted into the ground is moist at a depth of 34", or if you leave no footprints when walking on a lawn, it does not need water. Apply only 1-2" of water at a time. The amount can be measured by setting a pan under the sprinkler. Watering could take as little as 1/2 hour. HELPFUL HINTS FOR MOWING --If you can, use a mulching mower. (It may be possible to convert your present mower.) Shredded clippings protect roots from the sun and add nutrients to the soil. --Set your mower so it cuts blades of grass at an average height of 2". Shorter grass i;s more likely to burn and look brown. - --Allow grass to become 3-4" tall. Mow according to blade height, rather than on a regular schedule. Growth is rapid at the beginning of the season but slows with the heat of summer. --Recycle your grass clippings if you don't mulch them into the lawn. Scatter them in flower beds, around other plants, or in the rows of a garden to retain moisture and reduce weeds. You can also recycle them into a compost bin and spare the landfill. LOCAL WATER USE -- `� QUESTIONS ONS AND ANSWERS 01 C-7 sAr Yov�� Q. Is it true that automated sprinkler systems save water? Yes, with proper installation and use. An automatic system should give head-to-head coverage, with no runoff into unwanted areas. Ideally, your landscape plan needs to be laid out at the same time as the sprinkler system. Low-water zones can be most efficiently handled with a drip system or with soaker hoses covered by mulch. The technology is now available for soaking systems to be installed completely underground, thus preventing evaporation. As with other sprinklers, automatic systems should not run every day, but rather only when necessary --usually no more than once a week, depending on the weather. Q. How do 1 know which water -conserving plants are appropriate for our region? The Outdoor Water Use Project includes compiling information on low-water grasses and other plants most suited for the Pocatello area, along with water conservation and yard care. A resource file is now available at the Marshall Public Library, and will be supplemented throughout the summer. It is located under Public Review Documents in the reference section of the library. Q. Are there any examples of alternative landscaping in the Pocatello area? Along highways and freeway interchanges as well as in yards, native wildflowers are being used more and more for their low water needs and low maintenance qualities. Special Recognition has been given by the Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee for wildflowers incorporated in landscaping as part of its Golden Arrow Awards for ,1996. Also, as part of the Outdoor Water Use Project, the City of Pocatello Department of Parks and Recreation is planning to incorporate demonstration areas of alternative grasses and other plants into new landscaping proposed for the upper level of Ross Park. NOTICE TO CITY WATER CUSTOMERS: Over the years, meters have been installed in more than 90% of Pocatello's water services The majority of remainingJlat rate accounts are located in Alameda. In 1991 the Pocatello City Council passed an ordinance requiring all water services to be metered To meet this requirement, the Council awhorized a purchase program for financing the cost of meter installation at no interest for up to three years. The monthly payment of less than $10.00 is added to floe utility bill, This assistance program ends September 30, 1996, so customers without meters are strongly encouraged to have them installed now. Most residential customers experience an annual decrease in their water bills with meters, and the City Council feels that metering is the only way rates can be made fair for every citizen of the community. If you are interested in participating in efforts of the Chubbuck-Pocatello Groundwater Guardian Committee to protect the Porineuf Valley Aquifer, please call Steve Smart at 237-2430. Direct your questions or comments about this newsletter to Outdoor Water Use, P.O. Box 4169, Pocatello, ID 83205. Also, watch for a Water Conservation panel discussion to be aired on Channel 12, and for your final Outdoor Water Use newsletter in August LOCAL WATER USE -- QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Q. What is the condition of Pocatello's water supply? Pocatello sits on top of a unique aquifer. The Portneuf Valley was carved out of sedimentary rock by the "Great Bonneville Flood." As the flood subsided, millions of cubic yards of clean sand and gravel were left to fill the valley. At the south end, these deposits are approximately 200 feet thick and only 3,000 feet wide. Pocatello's groundwater comes from the watershed formed by surrounding hills and mountains along the Portneuf River. Because the aquifer is very porous, groundwater flows through it rapidly. Thus it is productive, but also vulnerable. Once introduced, both surface and subsurface source contaminates can spread quickly. A substance called Trichloroethylene (TCE) has entered the aquifer near the Portneuf Gap and has affected up to eight of the city's 23 operating wells. Four of these have been closed. TCE contamination is currently under control, and treatment measures such as aeration towers will provide needed protection for the City's drinking water. Pocatello has an excellent source of water, but we must protect it for the future as well as today. Q. How do Pocatello's water rates compare to those of other communities? A recent survey by a utility management consulting firm showed that Pocatello water rates are average for the region. We pay $21.75 for 15,000 gallons of water, while the rate is $10.00 in Idaho Falls, $26.27 in Boise, and $29.31 in Moscow. Why the difference between Idaho Falls and Pocatello? Municipal water is a local resource. Water costs are lower if the geology of the area allows easy access to the water. Geology is also a factor in treatment and distribution costs. Idaho Falls sits on flat terrain, and can operate at 60 p.s.i. of pressure, while Pocatello has many foothills and elevation differences, and must pump water longer distances at twice the pressure. This places much more stress on our system and increases maintenance costs. In addition, 30% of Pocatello's water mainline system was built prior to 1920. Bit by bit these 300 miles of aging infrastructure have to be replaced, adding to user fees. Q. What is the City of Pocatello itself doing to conserve water? The Pocatello Parks Department is in the process of converting to automated sprinkling systems. The changeover is about 60% complete, with 90% completion expected by the end of 1997. The operation should be self-sufficient within five years, and will save water. All major parks will be computer -controlled, with automatic adjustments for factors such as humidity and rain. Both Highland and Riverside golf courses already have computer -operated irrigation systems. NOTICE: The Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce is giving special recognition to residences and businesses that incorporate wildflowers in planting as the group makes its Golden Arrow Awards for landscaping on June 27, 1996. Read Julys "Outdoor Water Use Newsletter" for additional information on landscaping and water conservation. If you have other questions or comments, write to Outdoor Water Use, P.O. Box 4169, Pocatello, ID 83205 or FAX 233-5625