Do people in a city like St. Petersburg, where we are surrounded by water, have to worry about water conservation? We’re swimming up to our ears in thousands of lakes, streams and rivers, right? When it comes to things like yard and property maintenance and upkeep on landscapes, why is responsible and efficient irrigation important?
Research is being done on finding and developing plants that can be irrigated with salt water, but until we find success with that, we’ve got to make sure our plants can thrive on fresh water with environmentally friendly irrigation systems. Fresh water is not easy to come by on a consistent basis, even if we are surrounded by it. Florida’s mercurial weather patterns can dump tons of rain on St. Petersburg, only to then follow up with intense bouts of zero rain and very hot weather for long amounts of time.
We’re not sure if it’s the number of people moving to Florida, changes in the climate, or continuing conversations about water storage issues, but the fact is, everyone in St. Petersburg needs to be more conscious than ever about not letting irrigation systems waste water.
Landscaping and lawn irrigation in St. Petersburg use a large amount of water, so picking specialists to install or upgrade an irrigation system that complies with current county and city water restrictions is key. Irrigation using reclaimed water can reduce the impact on surrounding water resources, and the environmental benefits are many. Reclaimed water is excellent for properties such as traffic and street medians, country clubs with golf courses, lawns, and residences, and even irrigation of crops such as soybeans and citrus.
Water reuse is probably the biggest contribution you can make to your community. Irrigation in a town like St. Petersburg, where groundwater is jeopardized by intrusion of saltwater, can cost us a lot. To top it all off, the saltwater problem stems from the systematic over-pumping of groundwater.
It’s also important to keep irrigation systems working properly so that their effectiveness remains consistent. Contractors can inspect for leaks, perform inspections on the pumps and water storage, make sure all sprinkler heads are clean and adjusted properly, and check the mechanism and programming to ensure that watering is happening on time and for the specified duration without error.
When irrigation systems are installed or updated with new strategies and technologies in mind, everyone wins. You’ll be saving money, while also helping to meet the current water supply regulations. New irrigation can help protect and sustain St. Petersburg’s future.
