Winterize Your Yard's Irrigation System

Have you made a plan to winterize your home's irrigation system? By winterizing your irrigation system, you'll remove all water from inside its pipes, so it doesn't freeze and expand. Winterization also includes disconnecting and turning off your home's outside water for the season ahead. Depending on the type of system you've set up and your personal level of DIY-aptitude, you might feel comfortable taking on winterization yourself - but it's often easier to hire a professional who already owns all the tools they'll need.

According to Megan Andrews, QWEL certified professional and Commercial Horticulture Program Coordinator at UNR Extension, "maintaining your irrigation system isn't just a garden chore, but a sustainability act. Making sure your system is running efficiently will help conserve water, reduce runoff, and protect our natural resources - including the Truckee River!"

Here's Andrews' top tips to keep in mind:

1. Winterize early! Here in Reno, we often have unpredictable winters, and waiting for the first freeze to think about winterizing could lead to trouble. Look up last year's weather, and base your winterization timeline on when first freeze frequently falls. Here in Reno, our first freeze usually falls in late October - making winterization by early November a must.

2. Thinking about taking on winterization yourself? Visit Utah State University Extension's website for information about how to maintain your irrigation system independently, and decide if this approach is right for you.

3. Hire a QWEL Professional to winterize your yard. QWEL Professionals have an additional level of training and expertise and have passed a certification exam demonstrating their knowledge and proficiency. Visit their website to learn more about the program and view their list of qualified local landscapers.

Looking to learn more? The Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) is hosting a FREE workshop on October 8th: Winterize Your Irrigation System. The workshop is designed to help equip Northern Nevada residents with the knowledge and skills they'll need to properly winterize a residential irrigation system - including step-by-step instruction and a live demonstration.