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8 | Four Seasons Hemet Herald | JULY 2022 | Water Wise – Doing Your Part As you may know, California has had the driest January, February, and March ever recorded. Warm days have melted snow faster than normal. All of California's 58 counties are under a drought-emergency proclamation with Southern California water officials declaring a water-shortage emergency. Since the supplies of water have been dramatically reduced over the past three years, Southern California residents are being called on to immediately reduce water usage by 20 to 30 percent. As we enter the summer months, one of the biggest and most common lawn and plant-care issues in Four Seasons is overwatering. There is a portion of homeowners in Four Seasons who may have very little to no knowledge of their sprinkler system settings or how to use it effectively. The sprinkler run times are likely set by their gardeners upon start-up and never adjusted or monitored. This "set it and forget it" approach is convenient, but not efficient. Often, sprinklers can be seen operating multiple times per day in the heat of the day and during windy periods causing excess water to run down our streets breaking up the asphalt by seeping under the asphalt degrading the road base that supports the asphalt coating. It is extremely expensive to repair this kind of damage. Ultimately, YOU WILL END UP PAYING TO RECONSTRUCT YOUR STREETS WITH POTENTIALLY INCREASED HOMEOWNER'S FEES. Additionally, YOU PAY FOR WATER THAT IS RUNNING DOWN THE STREETS! How You Can Help: Most Irrigation Control Panels are located inside the garage and consist of these basic functions: 1. Setting the current time and date 2. Start Time – time you want the watering to begin 3. Run Time – how long you want each zone to water (typical system has at least 4 zones) 4. How Often – select the days of the week you want to water If you have not had a chance to inspect your irrigation system now is a good time as we are entering the heat of summer. Critical Step: Please verify and know your settings for each zone at your irrigation control panel. If needed, adjust accordingly. Some systems can be overwhelming and difficult to understand, so if you need help, just ask your gardener or a neighbor. The ideal time to water is in the pre-dawn hours when there is less wind and it's cooler. The water will have a chance to penetrate down to the root zone. It is recommended that run times per zone can run up to five minutes depending on the type of landscaping being watered. Check your sidewalk and curbs along with the backyard drains that have been cored into the street curb. If you have water flowing into the street gutters, there is a good chance that you are overwatering. Identify where the excess water is coming from. Remember that the water we use contains calcium which can clog your sprinkler heads and drip systems. Inspect your sprinkler heads and drip systems to verify that each are working correctly and spraying within the desired location. If not, clean or replace as necessary. Special Note: Be aware that the control panel has a battery. If the battery is dead, your control panel will revert to the default mode after a power failure, which can delete your settings. By making the necessary periodic adjustments and inspections to your sprinkler system, you will not only save money but also conserve our most important resource. Thank you for your continued support in preserving this beautiful community we live in. Architectural Review Committee

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