Olympic-Sized Water Savings

Last year, parks and recreation staff dramatically changed the way they water City parks, switching to a cycle-and-soak method of watering. This change resulted in the City saving over 7 million gallons of water – or the equivalent of nearly 11 Olympic-sized swimming pools filled with water.

This type of irrigation applies water in multiple, short cycles rather than one long watering cycle. For example, rather than watering a single zone for 45 minutes, sprinklers can be set to water three times for 15 minutes, with at least 30 minutes in between each cycle. The first cycle breaks the surface tension of the soil and allows the water to penetrate. The second cycle is absorbed even further into the soil, reaching the roots. The third cycle allows additional absorption, filling the root zone.

Benefits of Cycle-and-Soak Watering

• Save water
• Prevent water runoff
• Deeper and healthier roots
• Thicker and greener grass
• Promote drought-resistant turf