Urban irrigation - Looking at water use in our own backyard

The irrigation of home lawns and gardens is a major consumer of potable water. This study looks at 50 home irrigation systems and their water use in Sydney between November 2004 and March 2005. These homeowners were not subjected to the water restrictions enforced during this period. Irrigation around homes accounted for 34% of total household water use. The study highlights differing water practices between gardens and lawns. Gardens appear to be the big consumer of water. Homeowners tend to considerably over-irrigate smaller irrigated spaces (<50 m²), by two or more times the water actually required by plants. Smaller irrigated spaces represent a significant proportion of outdoor areas around homes, and as such they need to be targeted in the future water conservation strategies.