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Why Irrigate?

It’s no exaggeration to say that without the advent of modern plumbing and irrigation techniques, Las Vegas as we know it wouldn’t exist. But, of course, that’s not to say that no one would live here. Indeed, humans and other animals have found a way to live in the harshest landscapes on earth by adapting to them.

But adaptation wouldn’t look the way it does without the water we can access.

The question is, are you fully utilizing the water at your disposal? Or are you overusing it?

Clean and Green is a water-smart contractor recognized by the SNWA. While we spend much of our time these days doing SNWA conversions, we also use our skills to provide water solutions that help you use your water in the best way for you, your landscape, and the environment at large.

What Do We Mean By Irrigation?

Irrigating is moving water from where it is to where you need it. For our blog, we will use irrigation to describe using water to nourish plants. We do that through sprinkler and drip systems.

Sprinklers

When most people think about irrigating, they think about lawns and sprinklers. Of course, that’s not necessarily the most efficient method, but sprinklers make sense in some places.

Sprinklers work best when you need to water a significant and level area. If the water naturally goes to the right parts of your landscape because grading is not an issue, sprinklers may work for you.

Sprinkler installation tends to be cost-efficient in these cases because there is less beneath the surface that needs installation.

Drip Irrigating

Drip irrigation systems work by sending water directly to the parts of the plants that need them, on or near the roots. It’s the most efficient watering system for that reason and because less water is required.

You can use less water because gravity feeds the water directly to the grass without any waste. In addition, less water evaporates because the water is not on the surface of the plants.

Can Irrigating Really Save Water?

The first question you may ask when you hear that we’re a water-smart contractor and that we provide solutions that save you water might be, can irrigating your lawn really reduce water usage? The doubt makes sense. With rules in place telling people how often they can water, and conversions happening to move people away from lawns, sprinklers probably seem downright wasteful.

Luckily though, irrigating your yard can save you water. To understand why you just need to understand what happens when people don’t have watering systems.

Vs. Watering Manually

When homeowners manually water their plants, it’s hard to do it right. As a result, we tend to over- or under-water. Both are bad for the environment.

The problems with overwatering are obvious. We waste a resource that is already scarce in the desert. Less apparent might be the cost of underwatering.

Underwatering can cause the premature death of your lawn and other plants. You spend money replacing them when they die and have to tear up the soil to replant. Once again, that’s a waste of resources.

Plus, using a drip system for your irrigating gets the water where it needs to go, further reducing the amount required. Think of it this way. If you were thirsty, would you pour a bucket over your head or bring a cup to your lips?

Why Can’t We Get It Right?

Many factors go into how much water plants need. Of course, humidity and precipitation come first to mind. But what about the slope of the land, not to mention different plants need different amounts of water?

All in all, it’s too much for a person to consider without some intense measurement tools!

Other Irrigation Benefits

In addition to saving water, irrigation takes better care of your plants. The grass is healthier when it gets the amount of water that it needs. Saving plants and saving money leads to another of your favorite savings – money!

Sprinkler and drip systems also save you time. One of the best parts of an irrigation system is that you can program it on a timer, so you don’t even need to be home to water your lawn! Then, when your watering is programmed, your grass is never thirsty.

Conclusion

With all the benefits to your landscape, wallet, and the environment, there’s no reason not to irrigate your lawn and gardens. The only question is, what’s the proper setup for you? Clean & Green is available to give you the answers!