Sprinklers and drip
Two Different Systems, One Plan
Most yards here need both. A lawn wants water spread across the surface. Beds, shrubs, trees and slopes want it at the root, slowly, under the mulch. Put them on the same valve and one of them is always wrong.
Paul installs both, on the license he has held since 2004, California contractor license 840163, C-27 Landscaping with C-61/D06 and C-61/D12. The record is public at cslb.ca.gov.
Sprinkler Systems, and Where They Are Not Allowed
Sprinklers are for open lawn, and the rules keep the water on the grass instead of the pavement.
- "Overhead irrigation shall not be permitted within 24 inches of any non-permeable surface."
- Any landscape area less than 10 feet wide in any direction has to be watered by subsurface or low volume irrigation, with no waste, runoff or overspray.
- Non turf areas on slopes over 25 percent go on drip or another low volume method.
A system that soaks the fence and the sidewalk is not a watering system, it is a bill. Sprinklers get planned with the rest of the yard.
Drip Irrigation Is Half the Job, Not a Downgrade
Drip puts water at the root of each plant, slowly, under the mulch. In this climate that is not a compromise, it is the better tool for everything that is not lawn.
- Beds, shrubs, trees, planters and anything on a bank.
- Narrow side yards and parkway strips that overhead spray is not allowed to reach.
- Drought tolerant planting, the part the water rebate is paid on.
Drip gets its own break in the district rules. Low flow drip at 2 gallons per hour or less is exempt from the fifteen minute unattended limit. That is why beds and lawn go on separate valves.
Get your irrigation planned properly
Free estimates on new sprinkler systems and drip, residential and commercial, call (951) 566-6908.
Call (951) 566-6908The Fifteen Minute Rule and the Controller That Beats It
Eastern Municipal Water District caps unattended systems at "no more than fifteen (15) minutes watering per day, per station." There are two ways past that, and both are built in.
- Low flow drip at 2 gallons per hour or less.
- A weather based controller running at 70 percent efficiency or better.
A weather based controller watches the weather and changes the run times itself, less after a cool week and more in a heatwave. Everything still runs inside the 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. window, and watering during rain or within 48 hours after it is prohibited.
None of it helps if the ground holds water, which is why the grading and the landscape drainage solutions come first.
No Day Limit Today. Build For the Day There Is One.
Eastern Municipal Water District is at Stage 1, "Supply Watch". There is no limit right now on which days you can water.
That is the argument for building it properly the first time. A yard split into real zones, drip on the beds, a weather based controller on the front of it, keeps plants alive on far fewer minutes. Paul does the same work on commercial properties as on homes.
- Separate valves for lawn, beds, slopes and trees.
- Drip wherever overhead spray is not permitted.
- A controller that adjusts itself instead of waiting for you.
Ask the contractor
Straight answers to landscaping questions
Do I need sprinklers or drip?
Most yards need both. Sprinklers spread water across an open lawn. Drip puts it at the root of each plant, under the mulch, which is what beds, shrubs, trees and slopes want. They go on separate valves.
Why can't a sprinkler go next to my driveway?
Menifee's landscape standards say "Overhead irrigation shall not be permitted within 24 inches of any non-permeable surface." Water that lands on a driveway or patio runs straight off. In those strips we use drip instead.
What about a narrow side yard?
Any landscape area less than 10 feet wide in any direction has to be irrigated by subsurface or low volume means with no waste, runoff or overspray. Drip handles those strips without throwing water at the fence.
Is there a limit on how long each station can run?
Yes, if the system runs unattended. Eastern Municipal Water District caps it at fifteen minutes per day per station, with two exemptions: low flow drip at 2 gallons per hour or less, and weather based controllers at 70 percent efficiency.
What is a weather based controller?
It is a timer that watches the weather and sets the run times itself, so the yard gets less after a cool spell and more in a heatwave. It also keeps you clear of the rule against watering during rain.
How many days a week can I water?
There is no day of week limit right now. Eastern Municipal Water District is at Stage 1, "Supply Watch", so the permanent rules apply: water only between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., not during rain or within 48 hours after it, and no runoff off the property.