Idaho State Drinking Water regulations (IDAPA 58.01. 08.552. 6) require that all backflow assemblies are inspected annually. Properties with assemblies that have not been tested, have not been isolated or repaired or replaced, shall have water service to the failed assembly discontinued.

1. Watering the lawn in the hot sun (or hot weather)

Not only is this a huge waste of water, but it’s also ineffective and unhealthy for your grass. If you water your lawn in the middle of the day with the burning sun, most of it will evaporate into the air…and it won’t penetrate into the soil for the roots to absorb it. It’s ideal to water early in the morning when it’s coolest (generally 4am-10am). Ideally infrequent deep saturating watering is what we are after to keep the soil moist, as this is where the turf root system goes for its water needs. Note: The exception to the rule is during a heat wave and people will do a syringe shot for a short 15 to 20 minutes to try and cool off the turf. Realize that you are losing a good amount of water to evaporation. This is sometimes done in the golf industry to help reduce the stresses of excessive heat if they are behind in their water.

If you live in an area of the Idaho where temperatures often drop to near or below freezing, you know there’s always the possibility that your home or business water pipes can freeze, and potentially even burst. But while much of your focus is on your interior plumbing, this can put your sprinkler system at risk for similar types of damage. The truth is, simply shutting down your irrigation system in the wintertime is not enough—the water still inside the system must be drained out completely to prevent sprinkler elements from freezing, expanding and cracking. Yes. Even underground pipes are at risk for freezing damage. So, what exactly is the importance of winterizing your property’s irrigation system?

How to choose the right sprinkler head for your project? It really breaks down to knowing what pressure per square inch (PSI) is available for each head in your system and the size of the area you wish to water. Knowing these two factors will help guide you in making the right choice for which sprinkler heads to purchase and install. First, I will describe the three basic types of sprinkler heads. Included is a short checklist that will help in your selection. Remember, a healthy lawn is dependent upon having the correct arrangement of heads throughout your lawn.

An automatic sprinkler system keeps lawns looking healthy and beautiful whatever the weather, but they must be installed properly to function well. The number of sprinklers per zone depends on the pounds per square inch pressure (PSI) and gallons per minute (GPM) flow of the system as well as the gallons per minute used by each sprinkler head. Sprinkler heads use more gallons per minute at higher PSI but can be spaced farther apart.