• Adjust your irrigation system often. Irrigation schedules should be adjusted based on seasonal changes.
• Set sprinklers to keep the water on the landscape and off the pavement. Lots of water is wasted by poorly designed and neglected sprinkler systems that spray sidewalks, driveways, and the street. Save water by directing sprinklers toward the landscape. 
• Inspect your irrigation system monthly. Check for leaks, broken or clogged heads, and other problems, or engage a certified irrigation professional to regularly check your system. Clean micro-irrigation filters as needed and correct obstructions in sprinkler heads that prevent them from distributing water evenly.
• The checklist “Find It, Flag It, Fix It: A Checklist For Your Landscape”  provides tips on how to identify irrigation and landscape issues and when you might want to call an irrigation professional for assistance.
• Remove water-hogging weeds. 
• Mulch to retain moisture. Mulch around trees, shrubs, and flowers to help the soil retain moisture and prevent weeds.
• Prune plants—smaller plants require less water. 
• Use drip irrigation to apply water slowly and directly to the roots of plants and trees.
• Water during the optimal time between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.
• Install a rain sensor to prevent irrigation during a rain event.
• Inspect your irrigation system and equipment for leaks.
• Consider installing a smart controller for your irrigation system
• Test sprinklers and spray heads to ensure they work properly and direct them away from paved surfaces.
• Check for WaterSense! A certified irrigation professional can design, install, maintain, or audit your system to ensure you're using the proper amount of water to support a healthy landscape. Ask if your irrigation contractor is certified by a WaterSense labeled program.

As a part of this effort, customers are encouraged to inspect pool systems and irrigation systems for leaks.

Leaks from pipes, plumbing fixtures and fittings are a significant source of water waste for water utilities and the residential customer. Research has shown that the typical home loses 2,000 to 20,000 gallons (7.6 m3 to 76 m3) of water per year due to leaks. 

Some leaks are readily apparent, such as dripping faucets and leaking water heaters. 

Unfortunately, many leaks go undetected for years because the source of the leak is not visible.  When leaks are hidden, the water escapes undetected, such as caused by deteriorating toilet flapper valves and cracked water supply lines. 

Individually or collectively, the leaks in a single home can easily waste thousands of gallons of water each year; costing money to BOTH the water customer and the utility. (Alliance for Water Efficiency)

What can you do? Start by locating the leak, then take the necessary steps to repair it.

How do you begin to locate the leak? Watch the water meter!!!

If you suspect a leak, monitoring your home’s water meter will give you a definitive answer.

• Turn off all water faucets in your home and make sure the washing machine and dishwasher are not running.
• Check the water meter and write down the numbers you see.
• Look on your home’s water meter for a small triangular dial in the center labeled "Low Flow Indicator."
• Watch the triangle to see if it rotates, which means there is a water leak somewhere inside or outside your home.
• The next step is checking for signs of a leak in your indoor plumbing.
• Come back in an hour and check again. If the numbers have changed, there is a leak somewhere.

To determine if the water leak is in the house or outdoors, turn off the shut-off valve on your home’s main water supply pipe. This is either located in a basement or a utility room where the water pipe enters the home.

Check the water meter, write down the numbers, and wait another hour. When you check again, if the numbers have not changed, the water leak is inside your home. If the numbers have changed, the leak is in the buried water line that runs to the house.

If the leak is in the buried water line, call an experienced plumber to repair or replace the water line.

What happens if it is in not in my house or the buried water line?

If there are no signs of a leak in the home or the water line from the meter box, the leak is probably somewhere in your sprinkler’s irrigation system. Leaks mainly occur in a valve box or a broken line/sprinkler head.

• Turn off the water supply to the irrigation system.
• If the low flow meter on the water meter stops spinning, you have a leak in your irrigation system.
• Check for irrigation controller problems, your sprinkler valves, lines, and sprinkler heads.

Signs of a leak include the following:

• Flooding around the sprinkler’s base may indicate malfunctioning valves that are not shutting off properly.
• Water sprays/geysers usually indicate missing spray heads.
• Water spraying between sprinkler heads could mean you have a cracked lateral line.
• Water laying in the grass between sprinklers usually indicates a steady leak coming from an underground pipe.
• Water spurting from a sprinkler’s base could mean that a seal is broken where the riser or nozzle connects to the underground supply line.

If you notice any of the above, fix the leaks or call an experienced plumber. A little maintenance and prevention will save a lot of money in the future.