Re-Cap, Desert Gardeners November Meeting

Jerry Rowling showed the group several water meters and told us how to understand our water bill. He advised turning all household water off and looking at the water meter to detect an outside leak. If inside water is off and the meter is still registering, you have a leak. First, check all hose connections:

There are 7.48 gallons of water in 1 cubic foot. On your water bill, one unit of water equals 100 cubic feet, or 748 gallons of water. The water district charges $1.12 per unit. Now, consider: A faucet leak of one drop per second equals 7.5 gallons per day - 225 gallons per month, 2,700 gallons per year A stream of water from a hose left running at about 5 gallons per minute, would be 7,200 gallons per day - $10.78 or (heaven forbid) if you forgot it for a month, it would cost you an extra $323.42! I have been guilty of letting the hose drip onto plants for a period of time. It is so EASY to forget...NO MORE! I just, somehow, had never thought of it in those terms.

Check the same way for inside leaks. First, turn off any outside water. Be sure no inside appliances or faucets are running. Look at the meter. If it is still turning, you have an inside leak. Check your toilets first to see if they are running. If you can't detect any leak, a drop of food coloring in the tank will provide evidence. If you have no inside leaks, your meter should be still.

Tom Fredericks noted that, due to our granular and sandy soil, which absorbs water at the rate of two inches per hour, finding an outside leak is a difficult task. He also stated that deep watering here ( Borrego Springs ) does not have the same effect as in other locales. My take...if you like to water by hand ( I do )a little sprinkle now and then doesn't hurt...but, don't let the hose run because it can't turn itself off!

In conclusion, Jerry stated that pipes have a life expectancy of 15-20 years, as do valves, timers and other parts of your irrigation system. The best protection is paying attention to your entire watering system, meter included!