Fort Worth Issues Mid-Season Irrigation Check Alert

The City of Fort Worth is issuing a mid-season irrigation check to ensure residents are staying on schedule and reducing their water waste.

The city put out a blog post about the issue on Friday. According to the post, summer heat places the highest demand on Fort Worth's water system. And residential irrigation systems play a major role in that demand.

That's why the Fort Worth Water Department encourages residents to schedule a no-cost SmartIrrigation Assessment to confirm that their systems are operating efficiently and within ordinance guidelines.

The city's irrigation ordinance limits outdoor watering to twice per week and prohibits irrigation between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Remote meter readings detect high water use during restricted times. The blog states that many residents are unaware their systems may be running outside allowed hours.

Common mid-seasons issues include:

• Sprinkler heads knocked out of alignment by lawn equipment
• Leaks or broken components
• Controllers running past midnight on the wrong watering day
• Timers that reset after power interruptions

A licensed irrigation professional will evaluate systems for broken, misaligned, or leaking heads; incorrect controller settings; pressure and flow concerns; and distribution uniformity and other efficiency problems.

No repairs are made during the visit, but residents will receive a detailed report outlining recommended improvements.

"Improving irrigation efficiency protects your landscape and reduces the risk of violations," the post states. "According to EPA WaterSense guidance, the average household saves more than 10,000 gallons of water per year by improving irrigation practices."

Efficient systems can also help stabilize citywide demand during peak summer months. That supports long-term water reliability goals.

Sign up for a mid-season check online here.