Just found out my 'green' lawn was a huge waste of water
My water bill in Phoenix hit $350 last month, which made me check my sprinkler system. Turns out I was watering the driveway and sidewalk for over an hour every morning. How do you cut down on outdoor water use without killing your plants?
My neighbor's cactus gave me a dirty look for wasting so much water. I set my sprinklers on a smart timer last year after a similar shock. It lets me water just before sunrise so less evaporates, and I can skip days when it rains. I also swapped some grass for rocks and native plants that don't need much. My bill dropped by almost half, and the only thing that died was my guilt.
Smart timer was a game changer for me. Watering at 5am instead of noon made a huge difference. Also check for broken sprinkler heads, they waste a ton.