Did you know that lawns and landscapes need less water in September and October than they do in July even if it’s just as hot outside? This is because the amount of daylight we receive reduces every day from June 21 (summer solstice) to December 21 (winter solstice). In fact, during this time, the length of daylight reduces by more than 6.5 hours in Contra Costa County! In addition, the angle of the sun gets lower in the sky as we head towards fall and winter. So, the combination of less daylight and a lower sun angle results in less solar radiation, which is why lawns and landscapes need less water.
Appropriately, CCWD recommends you ‘fall back’ into savings by reducing your lawn and landscape watering. Follow this suggested watering schedule to get the most value out of every drop. The suggested watering schedule lists the number of days recommended to water per week for normal non-drought conditions to help you save water. Check out our Lawn and Landscape Watering Schedule (PDF) for year-round watering recommendations.
Fall Back Irrigation Schedule
| Watering Days Per Week | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER | NOVEMBER | DECEMBER |
|---|
| Lawn | 3 days | 2 days | 1 day | 0 days |
| Landscape (Plants/Shrubs) | 2 days | 1 day | 0 days | 0 days |