It's planting season in Arizona, and the ABC15 Impact Earth team is looking at the ways you can spruce up your lawn and gardens while conserving the Valley's most precious resource: water.
Gina Conrow is a water resource specialist with the city of Phoenix. She said planting the right kind of plants is the first step to save water and make sure your yard looks great.
"They perform really well in our environment, plus the best part is they conserve water and they save money for residents," she said.
The nonprofit AMWUA has a list of shrubs, trees, perennials, annuals and cacti that thrive in the desert.
When it comes to landscaping, Conrow says the next thing to do, is check for leaks.
"It's good to stay on top of your emitters and make sure that your irrigation is not wasting any water."
According to the EPA, the average US household wastes nearly 10,000 gallons of water every year due to leaks.
"You want to make sure you have all of your emitters properly functioning and that they're putting out the correct output for each type of plant that you have in your yard," said Conrow.
Check for broken sprinkler heads, too.
Conrow also said you should be adjusting your irrigation controller at least every season. Even better, adjust it every month.
"The watering is different when it comes to the summer, winter, fall, spring so you want to make sure that your landscaping is getting the right about of water for that time of year," she said.
There are resources online that break down how much water is the right amount depending on the type of plant.
"Any small step makes a huge difference when it comes to water conservation. So you can definitely make an impact," said Conrow.
Find a guide on how to save water in your landscape here.
You can find more city resources on water conservation here.
