California American Water Reminds Customers to Turn Down Their Sprinklers When They Turn Back Their Clocks This Weekend

As daylight savings comes to an end, coinciding with the beginning of the rainy season, customers are urged to monitor their residential sprinklers to ensure they’re not on during rain showers. By reducing irrigation in the winter and shutting off sprinklers during rainy periods, customers can save water while maintaining healthy landscaping.

“With our busy lives and the holidays around the corner, it’s easy for folks to forget that their sprinkler system may still be on a summer watering schedule,” said Andy Soule, general manager of California American Water’s Northern Division. “That’s why we’re encouraging customers to monitor their home irrigation systems and make sure they're not double dosing their properties with water. It’s a waste of money, water and can damage landscaping.”

Overwatering can be more damaging to plants than drought. Landscaping experts estimate that 90 percent of plants die from too much water. Soggy soil can prevent nutrients and air from reaching plant roots, inviting unwanted diseases such as root rot.

If there is a long break between rainy days, California American Water recommends manually watering landscape with a hose equipped with a low-flow hose nozzle. One way to test if a garden needs watering is by pushing a screwdriver into the ground. If it goes in easily, the soil is moist and the landscaping doesn't need water.

“We want our metered customers to know they can avoid high water bills by controlling their outdoor use,” Soule said. “It’s good for their pocketbooks and good for the environment.”

California American Water offers rebates of up to $2,000 for customers to replace turf lawn with water efficient landscaping and free Water Wise House Calls to all residential and commercial customers, as well as low-flow hose nozzles and other water-saving devices. For more information, contact California American at (916) 568-4201.

California American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), provides high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 600,000 people.

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 16 million people in 35 states, as well as Ontario and Manitoba, Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.