SAN DIEGO — Protecting and maintaining the health of our water quality is vital in San Diego. Irrigation runoff is a major contributor to water contamination in our county. Remember, the water on your property doesn't always stay there. That's why Project Clean Water wants you to "Keep Runoff in Check!"
"We want to make sure that when we are irrigating all of these beautiful lawns that we have that the water we are using, stays on those lawns, isn't hitting things like cement and then running off and making sure that we're being really efficient with the use of that water," said Chelsea McGimpsey with Project Clean Water.
Excess water usage from sprinklers allows water to run off your property and transports toxins like oil from streets and driveways, harmful chemicals from fertilizers and even trash. These untreated pollutants end up in creeks, rivers, lakes and eventually the ocean. McGimpsey says we should use these practices year-round, but right now would be a good time to make adjustments before we get into our rainier months.
"When we get rains and there flushing things out, there's not as much of a buildup on like our roads or things of the different pollutants because it's getting flushed out by the rain. But in the dry season when we are not getting rain, the only thing that's going to be flushing all of those pollutants is water running off of your property, which means there is going to be a higher concentration of it in that runoff and it's going to be a higher dose into our waterways," explains McGimpsey.
The "Keep Runoff in Check!" campaign focuses on three key actions, inspect, direct and protect.
- Inspect your irrigation for leaks and misaligned sprinklers
- Direct your watering. Make sure you are targeting plants, not the sidewalk or street and please avoid overwatering
- Protect waterways from pollution by stopping the runoff from leaving your property.
For helpful tips on how to mitigate runoff, we met up at The Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon. And I must say, I was digging tiki sprinklers they had on display to show that you can also have fun with your design choices.
"You see how they've got it, so that it's only landing on soil. Not landing on pavement here, and it's very slightly sloped into this runoff basin here, which then you can use this to store, water your plants through that instead of having to use your metered water that you have to pay for," pointed out McGimpsey.
Chelsea also showed off another landscape feature, a bioretention basin.
"So, you could look at your own property and see where water is running on it, naturally, and you can create this type of retention basin. It turns into a beautiful, nice little pond during the rain. It catches all you over irrigation when you are just watering your lawn in the Summers," said McGimpsey.
But wait there's more, especially if you are down to get your hands dirty. Composting isn't just a great natural fertilizer.
"When you layer it onto your lawn or your landscaping, it creates a protective barrier that holds moisture against the ground. It doesn't allow it to run off and allows all of that moisture to slowly percolate down into your landscaping while providing nutrients for all of your plants to grow and look very lush," explained McGimpsey.
The use of mulch is also a great way to keep runoff on your property because the woody light material is efficient at absorbing water. Chelsea recommends putting two to three inches on your grass.
"Your soil will only absorb so much before it can't absorb any more. We call that soil saturation. And once it hits that point, your grass can't suck it up as fast. It can't drink fast enough to keep up and so all that water is going to run off your property," said McGimpsey.
And in the long run, these tips to help you "Keep Runoff in Check!" will protect our county's ecosystem and prevent money from draining out of your checking account.
"If you're making sure your sprinkles are aligned properly, that you have no water running off of your property and that it's all getting held in with your mulch or your landscaping, you're really making use of less water because it is kept right where it needs to be, and so you can keep your water bill down. Hopefully, mitigate some of those increased water costs," said McGimpsey.
Watch Related: The Water Conservation Garden explains benefits of drought tolerant plants (Apr 26, 2022)