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3. Minimize the lawn Lawns are useful for recreation or places where family members and employees can relax. But turf requires frequent watering to stay green during our long dry season. ^ Recommend to your clients that they replace decorative lawns with water conserving Califomia native groundcovers or perennial grasses, shrubs and trees. ^ If lawns are desired, limit turf to no more than 25% of total irrigated areas. For residential clients, suggest the lawn be limited to a small part of the backyard where it is more likely to be used for play and relaxation. ^ Do not plant turf in areas or medians less than 8 feet wide -- it is too hard to irrigate effciently. ^ Avoid planting turf on slopes greater than 10%, in irregular shapes, or in bioswales, and instead specify a turf alternative such as Carex panso. Water and energy can be conserved. For example, reducing the size of a 1,000 square foot lawn that gets I inch of water per week to 500 square feet can save approximately 10,000 gallons of water per dry season. Your clients' water bills and your labor for mowing may also be reduced. Chemical use may be decreased and water quality protected. cw ~~ ~~ a~ ~~~ ~u`u 6F ~ m ~g3 ~~~ FUW ~~3 ~a~ aCs 4. Implement hydrozoning - group plants by water needs Different plants have different water requirements. Dividing the landscape into low, medium and high water use zones prevents over-watering. ^ Group plants by water and light needs (dry shade, dry sun, wet sun, wet shade). ^ Place thirstier plants in relatively small, highly visible areas and if possible, in spots that naturally collect water. ^ Plant a large perimeter area with drought adapted species. ^ Plan to discontinue irrigating those California natives that do not tolerate water in the summer after they are established -and be sure to separate them from plants that will need ongoing irrigation. ^ Create and identify irrigation zones on plans, based on the plants' water requirements, exposure, and soil water holding capacity. Include a summary table of the square footage of each hydrozone in construction documents. ^ Separate valves and circuits for individual hydrozones. In particular, put turf on its own valve. Water use can be more easily matched to the plant requirements. This fosters resistance to pests as well as conserves water. Plant mortality is reduced, saving time and money. Landscape before and after an upgrade that reduced lawn size, increased diversity, improved property values, cut water bills by 50% and reduced maintenance costs by 20%. 5. Design for on-site rainwater collection, recycled water and/or graywater use Rainwater can be channeled through gutters and downspouts to a storage unit. During a I -inch rain, 625 gallons of water can be collected from I ,000 square feet of roof. Stored water can then be used for irrigation. Recycled water refers to wastewater that has been treated at a regional facility, of a quality suitable for landscape irrigation but not human consumption. It is becoming increasingly common in Califomia. Gray- water is wastewater from sinks, showers, bathtubs and washing machines that is not contaminated by human waste. Not suitable for drinking, it is an intelligient re- source when used for subsurface irrigation of the roots of trees and shrubs. ^ Encourage the building architect, if possible, to pre-plumb for graywater conversion. ^ Conserve water by channeling rain from the roof to planters, swales and other landscaped areas. ^ Raise stormwater inlets in planting areas to allow rain to soak in. ^ Design, install and operate recycled water imgation systems (dual distribution systems) to allow for the current and future use of recycled water, especially for decorative water features. ^ Learn to use recycled water appropriately: poor drainage and incorrect watering can cause problems, just as is true for non- recycled water. ^ Check with local building code for graywater policies and requirements. ^ Use graywater for subsurface irrigation only. Educate your clients to use biodegradable soaps. The use of treated, drinkable water to irrigate lawns and gardens can be reduced. Groundwater is recharged. ~~ fr. iy '~ n ~~ ~.., ~ ~ ~ 35