Some communities are facing water restrictions not because of droughts, but because the population is growing faster than the water treatment facilities can operate. Water restrictions can impact a community-rainy season or not-until the community can get a new plant operating.

The long-term residual effects of droughts on water reserves are a major concern. According to the Nat’l. Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center’s latest seasonal assessment, despite a respite from dry weather across many drought-affected areas during the first half of August, drought has persisted over northern Texas and southern Oklahoma. Additionally, in the Northwest, a tendency toward warm and dry weather through autumn results in the risk for drought development across much of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and northwestern Calif.

One way to ease the hardship during water restrictions is to install a smart sprinkler systems with easily programmable features to meet local watering restrictions and still maintain healthy lawns. A daylight-saving time feature automatically resets to the correct time twice each year. A rain and weather sensor can override the watering schedule and avoid unnecessary watering.

Michael Blankenship
Pleasanton, Calif.