During the summer, water demand in our service area increases by about 60 percent, mostly due to outdoor water use. Many people use more water on their landscape than in any other single area around their home.

The EPA estimates that up to 50 percent of irrigation water gets wasted due to evaporation, wind, or runoff from overwatering. Watering smart is better for plants and more efficient.

• Get printable smart watering tips.

• Water in the morning for healthy plants and to reduce water loss to evaporation and wind.
• Water according to the weather. If it’s rained recently or has been cloudy and cool you may not need to water for as long – or at all.
• Look for signs your plants need water before watering.
• Encourage healthy roots. Water less often.
• Apply water close to the soil’s surface or under mulch.
• Use an adjustable water timer or irrigation controller.
• Choose drought tolerant plants.

Your lawn needs about 1 inch of water per week (including rainfall) to stay green during mid-summer. Follow the steps below to figure out how long and how often to water your lawn.

Step 1: Place tuna or cat food cans or rain gauges on your grass. Turn your sprinklers on for 15 minutes.

Step 2: Measure the depth of water in each can after 15 minutes. Calculate the average the water depth.

Step 3: Identify your soil type. Soil minerals come in three types: Sand, silt and clay. Sand is the largest particle, silt particles are small, and clay particles are microscopic. The amount of each particle determines your soil type, and how well your soil holds water and drains.

Pick up a handful of moist soil (as moist as a loosly wrung-out sponge). Rub it between your fingers. If it is rough, gritty and breaks up easily, it is sandy. If it feels sticky, slippery and slightly like plastic, it is clay. Try to form a ball with it. If it makes a solid lump that doesn't crumble, it is clay. If it won't form a lump but crumbles, it is sandy. If it is somewhere in between, it is loamy.

Step 4: Use the chart below, the average water depth in your tuna cans or rain gauges, and your soil type to figure out how often and how long to water.

The slower your sprinklers water (and the less water there is in your cans after 15 minutes), the longer you need to water. Sprinklers that apply water slowly and in larger drops or streams are more efficient.

A typical garden hose uses 6 to 8 gallons of water per minute. A hose nozzle automatically shuts off the flow of water when it's not in use. Plus, hose nozzles usually have multiple spray settings so you can more easily get water where you want it, the way you want it.

Turn off your faucet and remove the hose nozzle when it's not in use. This will prevent pressure builiding up in the hose and potentially damaging the vacuum breaker in or attached to your outdoor faucet.