Let the rain do the heavy lifting in your garden
Date published: 16 May 2022
Townsville City Council is urging the community to let the rain do the heavy lifting now in order to conserve water while keeping lawns looking their best.
Townsville Water and Waste chairperson Russ Cook said heavy rainfall meant residents can take advantage of the wet weather and turn their sprinklers off.
“Water conservation is everyone’s responsibility, many people don’t realise that more than 70 percent of Townsville’s household water is used outdoors on residential lawns and gardens which certainly isn’t necessary throughout our wetter months,” Cr Cook said.
“Our wet season was a little later than usual this year, and with the recent rains topping up the Ross River Dam, and giving our gardens a good soaking, it makes good sense to conserve extra water while we can.
“Council encourages our community to be water wise by watering twice a week in the dry and never in the wet, watering more than twice a week can do more harm than good by encouraging shallow and fragile root growth in poor soils.
“This is not only about being committed to being a Water Smart City but being educated on how your lawn and soil will best respond year-round.
“There is a misconception that the more water you use the healthier your lawn will be, and while everyone likes a lush, green lawn there are a few key steps that we can take at home to ensure our lawns become less water dependant and more resilient year-round, such as building biological activity in soil and improving infiltration and water holding capacity of your soil.”
Cr Cook said Council’s website has a range of helpful resources available to guide residents in training more resilient lawns. From videos, wet and dry season lawn guides and a number of fact sheets, from how best to water, mowing tips, irrigation knowledge and how to read your smart meter to name a few.
“It’s about getting the basics right by knowing your soil, choosing the right turf for your conditions, and training your lawn to grow strong roots in healthy and biologically active soils,” he said.
Visit our Water Smart City web page for more information and free resources.
