Sprinkler experts attract many interested in saving water

Washington Department of Ecology
Communications and Education
By Brook Beeler
June 22, 2008

More than 50 people showed up on Saturday, June 21, to learn how to water their yards more efficiently. That’s right, lawn watering drew a crowd—and it wasn’t just the free lunch they were after!

In the Spokane River Watershed, local governments, water purveyors, non-profits, and Ecology meet regularly to coordinate on water conservation education and outreach efforts. The Regional Water Conservation Collaboration (RWCC) organized the event to ensure participants would receive the most current information and hands on experience. Instructors were recruited from local sprinkler system distributors and taught sessions covering: clock timers, adjusting sprinkler heads, evaluating the efficiency of home systems, and advanced technologies.

Sponsors of the event provided a picnic lunch and exhibits where participants could get more information on products and tools that can help save water outdoors.

“This is a fantastic workshop,” said Jon Peters, co-owner of Baseline Irrigation Systems and instructor for the event. “These folks are asking better questions than many of the landscape professionals I sell products to.”

Workshop participants walked away with “smart” outdoor watering skills. Most indicated that the sessions answered all of their questions. Many chose to adopt new behaviors and adjust previous bad watering habits after attending. One of the best measures of success – 100% of participants that returned surveys agree or strongly agree that they would recommend this workshop to a friend.

One e-mail response we received said, simply, “Finally, something that makes sense!”

Regional Water Conservation Collaboration planning participants: Ecology, Spokane Aquifer Joint Board, Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District, Spokane County Water Resources, Spokane River Forum, City of Liberty Lake

Sponsors: Greenstone Homes, Baseline Irrigation Systems, Ewing Irrigation, Horizon, American Leak Detection