[mkjelenbaas]

Originally Posted by Princeton

Hi all, I need a general consensus on water usage. I live in a patio villa. The sprinkler system has three sections which are on 15 minutes each two times a week. My water usage bill for reclaimed water is close to 8000 gallons for a month and that seems extremely high. Does anybody know where to find the reclaimed water meter so I can check it when everything‘s off to make sure that I don’t have a leak. Or does this seem about right? Also my personal water usage seems high 2700 gallons a month for just one person so I would like to check that meter too.

Don’t know where to find a meter but thanks for asking.

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Not exactly. I water 30 minutes (3 zones: 5 minutes, + 5 minutes + 20 minutes) two times per week, and use 4,000 gallons of irrigation water per month. He waters 45 minutes (15 + 15 + 15) two times per week and uses 8,000 gallons per month. So, he is watering for more minutes, and is using 3,000 gallons of water more than I am. I doubt that he has a leak. I think he could save some water by reducing the watering times for the shrub areas because they shouldn't need as much water as the grass.

Yeah, I do 9 min bushes, 15 and 15 about 9 mos of the yr 3x a wk to get the recommended 45 min of water on grass a wk.

Every once in a while T V likes to throw in some unexplained random rise of almost double water usage bill out of the blue. Saw a news clip on that phenomenon but didn't follow up.

Only in T V do you pay for regular water in, AND WATER OUT plus sewer costs. Very strange to me but what are you gonna do??? Potable water is cheaper than reclaimed too... another anomaly for T V.

Orlando reclaimed water used to be like $8 bucks a month once upon a time...

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by GizmoWhiskers

Yeah, I do 9 min bushes, 15 and 15 about 9 mos of the yr 3x a wk to get the recommended 45 min of water on grass a wk.

Every once in a while T V likes to throw in some unexplained random rise of almost double water usage bill out of the blue. Saw a news clip on that phenomenon but didn't follow up.

Only in T V do you pay for regular water in, AND WATER OUT plus sewer costs. Very strange to me but what are you gonna do??? Potable water is cheaper than reclaimed too... another anomaly for T V.

Orlando reclaimed water used to be like $8 bucks a month once upon a time...

I suggest that you take another look at your water bill. In my case, potable water is about 3 times the cost of irrigation water, when you consider that the sewer charge is based on the amount of potable water used. I pay about 0.9 cents per gallon for potable water and about 0.3 cents per gallon for irrigation water.

[retiredguy123]

To put things in perspective, 1,000 gallons of irrigation water only costs about 3 dollars.

[G.R.I.T.S.]

Originally Posted by Princeton

Hi all, I need a general consensus on water usage. I live in a patio villa. The sprinkler system has three sections which are on 15 minutes each two times a week. My water usage bill for reclaimed water is close to 8000 gallons for a month and that seems extremely high. Does anybody know where to find the reclaimed water meter so I can check it when everything‘s off to make sure that I don’t have a leak. Or does this seem about right? Also my personal water usage seems high 2700 gallons a month for just one person so I would like to check that meter too.

Double check those settings. On older controllers, there are 4 numbered settings under each of the Programs A, B and C. Those numbers are difficult to see if you are not looking for them. Even if you are using only one program, you could be running four!

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by GizmoWhiskers

Yeah, I do 9 min bushes, 15 and 15 about 9 mos of the yr 3x a wk to get the recommended 45 min of water on grass a wk.

Every once in a while T V likes to throw in some unexplained random rise of almost double water usage bill out of the blue. Saw a news clip on that phenomenon but didn't follow up.

Only in T V do you pay for regular water in, AND WATER OUT plus sewer costs. Very strange to me but what are you gonna do??? Potable water is cheaper than reclaimed too... another anomaly for T V.

Orlando reclaimed water used to be like $8 bucks a month once upon a time...

What do you mean by the highlighted section above? I pay for the number of gallons of potable water that flows through my meter, both for the water I received and for the treatment of that water after I used it. I suppose you could call that water in and water out. The sewer charge *is* the water out charge, not an additional charge.

Paying a sewer rate based on the amount of water used is not an anomaly for TV, it is a standard practice for the industry.

[NoMoSno]

Do the tuna can test to determine run times for each zone. Every system may be different.
1 to 1-1/2" per week total is recommended in the summer.
One inch of water or rain is equivalent to 623 gallons per 1,000 square feet.
how many gallons of water over 1000sq ft at 1 inch - Google Search

Gallons per Square Foot Calculator

[NoMoSno]

/// duplicate post

[JRcorvette]

Originally Posted by Princeton

Hi all, I need a general consensus on water usage. I live in a patio villa. The sprinkler system has three sections which are on 15 minutes each two times a week. My water usage bill for reclaimed water is close to 8000 gallons for a month and that seems extremely high. Does anybody know where to find the reclaimed water meter so I can check it when everything‘s off to make sure that I don’t have a leak. Or does this seem about right? Also my personal water usage seems high 2700 gallons a month for just one person so I would like to check that meter too.

That sounds super hight…. I have 7 zones and water all of them every day for 20 minutes las month and my usage was only 2,013 gallons ! Something is not right with your irrigation system or meter.

[rickaslin]

Originally Posted by Princeton

Hi all, I need a general consensus on water usage. I live in a patio villa. The sprinkler system has three sections which are on 15 minutes each two times a week. My water usage bill for reclaimed water is close to 8000 gallons for a month and that seems extremely high. Does anybody know where to find the reclaimed water meter so I can check it when everything‘s off to make sure that I don’t have a leak. Or does this seem about right? Also my personal water usage seems high 2700 gallons a month for just one person so I would like to check that meter too.

I live in a Villa,The Villages has a history of water meter reading being way off but that is another story. My in house useage is @ 1600-1800 gallons (2 in house hold), my irrigation is low because I only use it when needed @2000 gallons.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by JRcorvette

That sounds super hight…. I have 7 zones and water all of them every day for 20 minutes las month and my usage was only 2,013 gallons ! Something is not right with your irrigation system or meter.

Are you sure about your numbers?

7 zones * 20 minutes * 30 days = 4,200 minutes of watering in 30 days
2,013 gals used for watering in 30 days
2,013gals/4,200mins = 0.47gals/min

0.47gals/min is unbelievably low for anything other than maybe drip irrigation

[sallyg]

Water usage has always been astronomically high for us in two different homes. Seems unusual that happens only the Villages.

[4$ALE]

Originally Posted by JRcorvette

That sounds super hight…. I have 7 zones and water all of them every day for 20 minutes las month and my usage was only 2,013 gallons ! Something is not right with your irrigation system or meter.

Stop and think about what you stated..... you really water every day at 20 min. each zone? One zone 20 min. a day for a month is 600 minutes or 10 hours a month ...... you watered with all 7 zones and you only used 2000 gallons for the month/66.66 gal per day??? Less than 10 gallons per zone( God only knows how many heads each zone, my smallest zone is 4 heads)

Sir, you may want to check your figures or your system.

[4$ALE]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Are you sure about your numbers?

7 zones * 20 minutes * 30 days = 4,200 minutes of watering in 30 days
2,013 gals used for watering in 30 days
2,013gals/4,200mins = 0.47gals/min

0.47gals/min is unbelievably low for anything other than maybe drip irrigation

Would like to know how many heads in each zone too!

[SHIBUMI]

This seems like excessive water use. I can do 4 zones, 15 minutes each 3 times a week and get that much water. Best to call and have the meter checked.

The other issue is the type of sprinkler head. Both Zoysia and St Augustine grass require a minimum of 1 inch of water per week. If you have a rotor head then 15 minutes 3 times a week satisfies that. BUT, if you have a spray(Hunter) head, you will need at least 45 minutes per zone 3 times a week.

I dropped some water catchers in each of my zones and got .3 inches in 15 minutes.
I have rotors. You would need at least 45 minutes per zone with the Hunter Sprays.

I dropped water catchers in the yard when it rained and it was said to have rained 1 inch. However, the catchers only got .3 inches, so, don't think the rain prediction relates 1 to 1 with what your yard will get. And I don't trust the sponge system in the rain detectors..........

My feeling is if you have Zoysia grass you need rotors. The water has to get down to the roots. If you have St. Augustine the Hunter Sprays are better as the grass has surface runners and best not to drench as rotors do. I don't believe there is any water amount difference between the 2 if your watering the grass you have properly.

I put the water catchers in each zone to see how many minutes are required to get that .3. (watering 3 times per week) What you will find is that some zones need more and some less........best to find out as using the same time for all zones is not
reality.

Of course the watering time is less in the winter, BUT, your best to find your times
needed and your grass type. If you have a small yard, think about getting rid of as much grass as possible. If a larger yard, you are just stuck. Recommendation is to
get the meter checked.

Originally Posted by Princeton

Hi all, I need a general consensus on water usage. I live in a patio villa. The sprinkler system has three sections which are on 15 minutes each two times a week. My water usage bill for reclaimed water is close to 8000 gallons for a month and that seems extremely high. Does anybody know where to find the reclaimed water meter so I can check it when everything‘s off to make sure that I don’t have a leak. Or does this seem about right? Also my personal water usage seems high 2700 gallons a month for just one person so I would like to check that meter too.