In May of this year, the St. George City Council initiated a "Time of Day" watering ordinance which limits outdoor watering to between the hours of 8 pm and 8 am. This helps to reduce the amount of water evaporation that occurs by watering in the heat of the day. During the summer months, the City provides over 40 million gallons of water per day to its customers.

Currently, over 10 million gallons of water are delivered between 4 am and 6 am each morning. Based on the water distribution system data, it appears that the majority of the residents in St. George are watering their landscapes between the hours of 4 am and 6 am.

“A large demand for water in a short period of time creates a noticeable pressure drop in the water distribution system.  While a drop in pressure affects the entire distribution system, some residents will notice lower than normal pressure,” said Water Services Director, Scott Taylor.   

A large drop in pressure will affect the efficiency of a sprinkler system and may result in inadequate sprinkler coverage.  Dry areas of a lawn may be the result of inadequate sprinkler coverage.  If this is the case, lengthening the watering cycle will most likely not resolve the dry spot issues, but will only result in increasing the amount of water running off the irrigated area.

“In an effort to improve water pressure city-wide, we are asking residents to adjust their sprinkler clocks to avoid watering between the hours of 4 am and 6 am,” Taylor added.  The City is also asking residents to spread out their outside watering over a longer period of time.  Spreading out the watering times does not mean to water for a longer period of time, but to allow for some down time in between sprinkler station cycles.  

Adjusting sprinkler systems to avoid watering between 4 am and 6 am and spreading out the watering times will increase the sprinkler system efficiency and improve sprinkler coverage in most cases.  

Be a part of the FIX, don’t water between 4 and 6 am!

St. George Water and Energy Services are commited to using our natural resources in the most effective manner not just for the short term, but for the long term. Ensuring an adequate supply of clean, drinkable water and a reliable source of energy at the most affordable rates are our goals.