City allows earlier watering hours under two days per week restrictions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 1, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — With a continued commitment to maintaining water restrictions, the City of Midland is now allowing residents to water any time on their respective watering days.

The City will continue to enforce a two-day-per-week schedule for households, but will expand hours outside the previously allowed 6 p.m. to midnight period to allow residents to irrigate plants and lawns anytime on their designated watering days. The new hours have been established by City officials and conservationists to best maximize water use by allowing morning hours for irrigation.

“We have heard from citizens that they want more options when it comes to watering their plants and lawns,” said City Manager Courtney Sharp. “This new schedule allows more flexibility for those who would rather water in the morning, and encourages the use of water-saving irrigation systems that work better over longer periods of time.”

Residents should always avoid watering in the heat of the day, when watering is least effective due to wind and evaporation. Effective watering is further enforced by a rate structure that encourages lower water use.

City officials would like to remind citizens to utilize mulch and encourage a deep, drought-resistant root zone for their plants and trees by watering deeply and infrequently. Other suggestions include the use of drip irrigation and rotary spray nozzles to deliver more water to the plants and lose less to heat and wind.

“The City of Midland’s new option to irrigate in the mornings has the potential to save water by allowing residents to irrigate in the coolest part of the day (the morning) when evaporation is lowest,” said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent Jeff Floyd. “Healthier landscapes may also result from morning irrigation since water allowed to remain on plants overnight may sometimes be responsible for diseases.”

The City of Midland thanks residents for their conservation efforts and continues to encourage the use of drought-tolerant plants and conservation-minded irrigation techniques.

Watering restrictions now in effect:

The designated watering days for even numbered addresses are Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The designated watering days for odd numbered addresses are Tuesdays and Fridays.

For more information on creating beautiful, easy-care landscapes, while conserving and protecting natural resources and the environment, please visit http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind.

Media Contact: Public Information Officer Sara Bustilloz