20 Ways to Save Water with Drip Irrigation 1 Plant it smart Drought efficient landscaping is a great way to design install and maintain both your plants and drip irrigation system More importantly it will save time money and water 2 Adding a timer to your drip irrigation system can save hundreds of gallons of water and hundreds of dollars a year 3 Do not leave sprinklers or hoses unattended A garden hose can pour out 600 gallons or more in only a few hours 4 By using drip irrigation for shrubs and trees the water is applied directly to the roots where it s needed thereby saving water and money 5 Fall is a great time to landscape Conditions are cooler and rainfall is more plentiful and you can run your drip irrigation system less 6 Check sprinkler drip irrigation systems and timing devices regularly to be sure they operate properly 7 Install drip irrigation devices that are water efficient Micro and drip irrigation are examples of water efficient irrigation methods 8 Check the root zone of your lawn or garden for moisture before watering If it s still moist two inches down you still have enough water 9 If water runs off your lawn easily split your watering time into shorter periods to allow for better absorption 10 Try to do one thing each day that will result in saving water Don t worry if the savings are minimal Every drop counts 11 By using a layer of organic mulch around plants to reduce evaporation in addition to drip irrigation you can save hundreds of gallons of water a year 12 Overhead sprinklers can damage crops droplets act as lenses scorching the leaves Avoid this by watering the roots with drip irrigation 13 Moist well mulched soil and strict weed control reduce the need for excessive summer watering 14 Sprinklers can use as much water in an hour as a family of four uses in a day and can actually damage some plants This can be avoided by changing sprinklers out with drip emitters 15 Monitor your water bill for unusually high use Your bill and water meter are tools that can help you discover leaks 16 Water your lawn and garden in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation 17 Adjust your irrigation controller timer run time for seasonal changes in weather once a month Simply making a monthly change to the irrigation operation times can save more water and money than any other thing you can do 18 As the seasons change monitor the wetting patterns after you run your drip system This will help catch any over watering that may occur and save you money 19 Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables then reuse it to water houseplants 20 Adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting A taller lawn shades roots and holds soil moisture better than if it is closely clipped