Reducing Water Use on Twin Cities Lawns through Assessment, Research, and Demonstration.

Minnesotans cherish their land of 10,000 lakes but may not connect the dots as to the relationship between their actions at home and the impact on the state’s water. Outdoor water use in the Twin Cities Metro Area (TCMA) has come under the spotlight recently due to concerns related to water quantity and quality. In the TCMA, approximately 20% of all treated drinking water is used outdoors, with a majority of this being used on lawns and landscapes. The objective of this project is to reduce water use in the home landscape by conducting assessments, research, and demonstration around the smart use of irrigation. Through surveys and homeowner irrigation audits, we have identified that over 40% of residents with irrigation systems operate them on an every other day program, over 50% of irrigation systems are never audited, and 75% of audits revealed at least one leaking sprinkler.