Drip Irrigation a Great Way for PWWD Residents to Conserve Water

Water conservation is among the Port Washington Water District’s (PWWD) biggest priorities, and the members of its Board of Commissioners believes in practicing what they preach. That is why District Chairman David Brackett recently had a drip irrigation system installed on his property in order to keep his lawn and plants well-nourished while saving as much water as possible.

“Promoting water conservation is one of the most important things we do at the Port Washington Water District, especially during the summer,” said Chairman Brackett. “Installing drip irrigation systems into one’s home is one of the best ways to conserve water while still keeping your property beautiful. I could not be happier with my new system and I encourage all of the District’s residents to consider having it installed on their property as well.”

Uniformity is key with drip irrigation systems. The system’s tubing is pressure compensated, which means that each drop of water put into the ground will be within five percent of the same size as one another. Every 12-inch interval of tubing emits about 0.6 gallons of water each hour and the tubes themselves are 24 inches apart, preventing any single area from becoming too dry or too wet. After 30 minutes of runtime, the system will have applied a quarter of an inch of water. Evaporation with these systems is much lower because the water is applied directly to the ground. Mulch also helps prevent water from evaporating out of the ground and protects the tubing. Check valves inside the tubing prevent water from draining out when the system is shut off, which helps maintain uniformity. When the system comes on for the next cycle, there are no loud hissing noises as it refills to start watering.

The reason that the PWWD encourages water conservation so strongly is that it helps the District keep some of its wells offline while they are treated for emerging contaminants. Additionally, as waterfront community, the District’s wells run the risk of saltwater intrusion. When the aquifer is over-pumped, saltwater can enter into the District’s drinkable water sources and thus further lessen the amount of safe drinking water to residents. By conserving water, residents not only help their wallets, but they also help maintain the health and safety of their community, so please Do Your Part for Port today.

For more information, including water conservation tips and ways to apply for the Smart Controller Rebate program, please call the District at 516-767-0171 or visit www.pwwd.org.