14 May Watering Once a Week – Why It Will Work

I’d mentioned previously that “Peak water use is what drives the supposed need for Water Treatment Plant 4,” and that modest conservation efforts could reduce water use on those few hottest days of summer when when we use – and waste – the most water.

In times of extreme drought (like last summer) the City’s rules call for once-per-week watering instead of twice-per-week. However, that schedule still had half of all residences watering on the same one day per week (and half of all businesses and apartments).

Peak summer water use could be further reduced by splitting a once-per-week watering schedule so that roughly one quarter of homes would be watering on any given day, instead of half of the homes. For example, houses with even addresses north of the Colorado River could water on Sunday, while even numbered houses south of the river could water on on Thursdays. Odd numbered houses north could water on Saturday, south could water on Wednesday. Same for businesses and apartments.

It is not only possible, it’s extremely inexpensive to reduce our daily summer water use to below 200 million gallons per day or MGD, which would be 85 MGD’s below our current treatment capacity of 285 MGD. If our most intense days of water use result in a cushion of capacity that almost doubles what Water Treatment Plant 4 would provide, how does it make sense to commit $1.2 BILLION to the Mistake on the Lake?

Reducing our peak summer water use also reduces the amount of energy required to pump water throughout the city’s thousands of miles of pipes. Again, if we can reduce our water use, energy use, and have an enormous cushion of water treatment capacity, how is it in Austin rate-payers’ best intersts to build a $1.2 BILLION new water treatment plant?

Now, some will claim that lawns must be watered more regularly. Some have also claimed that a once-per-week watering schedule will endanger our tree canopy. However, according to the Travis County Master Gardener handbook, “Most lawns receive twice as much water as they require for a healthy appearance. The key to watering lawns is to apply the water infrequently, yet thoroughly. . . Watering only when needed and then watering thoroughly produces a deep-rooted lawn that is more water efficient and drought enduring” (emphasis added).

Sounds like a once-a-week solution would help build better roots and prepare lawns for the next drought.

What about the trees? Again, the Master Gardener handbook advises, “As with lawns, water established trees, shrubs, and groundcovers infrequently, yet thoroughly. In the absence of rain, most trees and shrubs benefit from a once-a-month thorough watering during the growing season. Remember, normal lawn watering is not a substitute for thorough tree and shrub watering” (emphasis added).

So adopting a once-a-week watering schedule would in no way impact the health of trees since “normal lawn watering is not a substitute” for watering one’s trees.

Keep in mind that if you collect rainwater, you can water whenever you feel like it. And if you water by hand, you can also water whenever you like. A once-a-week watering schedule would in no way hinder recommended tree watering.

Will one more City Council Member join Laura Morrison, Chris Riley, and Bill Spelman in stopping the Mistake on the Lake? We’ll find out soon.

– Colin Clark