As the state reels from a record-setting drought, and the California Water Resources Control Board has authorized $500 fines for certain types of outdoor water waste, the Stay Green team has been fielding quite a few questions from customers.

Most of the questions revolve around the theme, "What does this mean to us?"

The short answer is, thanks to best practices already enacted by Stay Green, most customers are in compliance with not only the law, but also sound water management standards.

Stay Green for years has recognized that our state's water is a precious resource to be managed carefully, and our daily actions -- from landscape irrigation design to our choices of equipment and irrigation schedules -- support this philosophy.

Hence, the types of waste targeted by the state are not the kinds of things we typically see happening on our customers' properties. We are constantly vigilant to help ensure that our customers use water efficiently, and we encourage customers to do the same for their own businesses and residences.

Here are a few key points to remember: 

• Best Practices for Irrigation: Among other things, the Stay Green team adheres to the best practices endorsed by the Irrigation Association and American Society of Irrigation Consultants. These best practices include many things you might already be aware of, like choosing the right time of day to water in order to avoid losing water to evaporation. However, it goes much deeper than that, from designing a water-efficient irrigation system to choosing efficient irrigation equipment. Stay Green's experts are well-versed in all of these best practices -- outlined in this 55-page document -- and are trained to not only employ best practices but also to recognize areas where efficiency can be improved.
• Be Aware of Your Own Local Regulations: Different agencies are approaching the drought, and enforcement, in different ways. It's wise to be aware of local water conservation incentives, which can save the consumer money, and also to utilize conservation tips put forth by your local water purveyors. These links may prove helpful to many of our clients in Southern California:
  http://www.mwdh2o.com/
  http://bewaterwise.com/
  http://ladwp.com/waterconservation
  http://clwa.org/conservation/water-conservation-tips 
  http://www.cityofventura.net/water/efficiency  
  http://www.calleguas.com/index.html 
  http://www.camrosa.com/
• Take Advantage of Stay Green Solutions: If you think there are ways your water use efficiency can be improved, talk to your Stay Green team member about some of the solutions and service offerings that may help you. These can include:
  -- Retrofitting older irrigation systems with new conservation technology and/or design.
  -- Addition of "smart" weather-based irrigation controllers that can even connect to the Internet to help track efficiency.
  -- Addition of water flow sensing technology to help troubleshoot any problems in a system.
  -- Utilization of high efficiency nozzles and "drip" irrigation, which are much more efficient than traditional spray nozzles.
  -- Conversion of turf areas into more conservation-friendly landscapes. 

 As always, we welcome your questions. If you're concerned about the latest drought regulations, or you just want to do your part to manage our water resources with care, give the Stay Green team a call at (800) 858-5508. 

About Stay Green Inc.