May 2010

OnTap_May10_3
4/26/10
6:07 PM
Page 1
Salvia Clevelandii 'Winifred Gilman'
Plant this California Native shrub in a sunny location
and enjoy its fragrance all summer
Salvia clevelandii 'Winifred Gilman' is
one of the smaller clevelandii only growing to
about 3 feet tall. It is extremely drought-tolerant
with attractive violet blue to lavender golf ball-shaped flower clusters
and fragrant grey-green foliage. The bloom period is about one
month in spring or early summer. Removing spent flowers will
produce a second flush of bloom later in the season. Bees and
hummingbirds are attracted to this extremely fragrant plant, which
can be used as a foundation plant background for perennial gardens.
Watering Calendar for Spring
Winifred Gilman
Season:
Size:
Color:
Water:
Plant:
Spring to early summer
3 feet tall and wide
Violet Blue
Low
Full Sun
Betty H. Olson, Ph.D.
GRASS
Month
Maximum minutes per start time
Number of times to run your sprinklers per day
Number of days per week
Average minutes per week
May
Jun
Jul
4
3
3
32
4
3
3
40
5
3
3
44
May
Jun
Jul
4
3
2
24
4
3
2
28
4
3
3
32
PLANTS
Month
Maximum minutes per start time
Number of times to run your sprinklers per day
Number of days per week
Average minutes per week
For more information, please contact Gary Russell at 949-459-6533
Your
fromthetheSanta
SantaMargarita
Margarita
Yournewsletter
newsletter from
WaterWater
DistrictDistrict
smwd.com
Salvia clevelandii
Board of Directors
A watering guide is available at www.bewaterwise.com to help
homeowners individualize their irrigation controller (timer) settings.
The guide is based on plant material, soil type and location (zip code).
Irrigation demands vary with the weather (season), plant material and
soil conditions.
Listed below is a sample of irrigation guidelines for cool season
grass and moderate water plants. We have used clay soil with aboveground sprinklers for our calculations. Always check your plants for
stress (under-irrigating) and watch for runoff which indicates that the
sprinkler run times are too long. Modify accordingly.
Multiple start times in a day are needed as clay soil will not allow
water to percolate quickly.This will help limit runoff and wasted water.
Sandy or loam soils will allow for longer run times, but these soils are
rare in the SMWD boundary.
On Tap
M AY 2 0 1 0
Charley Wilson
Roger Faubel
Saundra F. Jacobs
Bill Lawson
General Manager
John J. Schatz
Preparing for an Emergency. Are You Ready?
In this Issue
• Operation Conservation Spotlight:
Oso Valley Greenbelt Association
• Residential Rebates Available
Through May 31
• Free Gardeners Workshops in
June & July
• Native Plant of the Month:
Salvia clevelandii 'Winifred Gilman'
Helpful tips for storing safe drinking water
We often take our household
water supply for granted. However,
when safe drinking water is
unavailable, it is more than just an
inconvenience — it can become a
health emergency. In Southern California,
a large-scale earthquake may interrupt the
supply of safe drinking water. Interruptions
may be for only a short period of time, or
for several days. Every household
should have an emergency water
supply to meet its members' needs.
How much water should I store?
On Tap is published bi-monthly
to keep Santa Margarita Water
District customers informed
about water-related issues and
upcoming events. If you have
any story ideas or suggestions,
please mail them to
General Manager John Schatz at
26111 Antonio Parkway,
Las Flores, CA 92688
or e-mail at johns@smwd.com.
______
Join Us on Facebook and Twitter
May 2010 On Tap
Item No. 30154-I-0043
Having an ample supply of clean water is a top priority in an
emergency. Needs may differ depending upon age, physical
condition, activity, diet and climate. Most people need to drink at
least two quarts (half gallon) of water each day. You will also need water for
food preparation and hygiene.
Store at least one gallon of water per person, per day. If you have pets,
allow 1 quart per day for each dog or cat. Storing at least a three-day supply
is recommended, but consider storing a two-week supply if your home has
enough space for it.
What's the best way to prepare and store water?
To prepare the safest and most reliable emergency water supply, it's
recommended that you purchase commercially bottled water. Keep bottled
water in its original container, and do not open until you need to use it.You
will also want to observe the expiration date.
If you are preparing your own containers of water, you should purchase
food-grade water storage containers from surplus or camping supply stores.
Containers not labeled for food or beverage storage could release harmful
chemicals into the water. Never use a container that has held toxic
substances.
(continued on next page)
For questions about
your account, upcoming events
or general information
Email: custservice@smwd.com
Phone:949-459-6420
Fax:949-459-6460
Website:www.smwd.com
OnTap_May10_3
4/26/10
6:07 PM
Page 2
Emergency
(continued from front page)
If you decide to re-use storage containers,
choose two-liter plastic soft drink bottles — not
plastic jugs or cardboard containers that have had
milk or fruit juice in them. Milk protein and fruit
sugars cannot be adequately removed from
containers and provide an environment for
bacterial growth. If re-using soft drink bottles, be
sure to follow appropriate steps to properly
sanitize the containers.
Can I store my tap water?
Take Advantage of Residential
Rebates Before May 31
Yes.The water SMWD supplies to its customers
for drinking and cooking is suitable for storing for
emergencies. Remember that the container used
to collect and store the water must also be clean.
Place a date on the outside of the container so you
know when you filled it. Store in a cool, dark place
and replace the water every six months if not using
commercially bottled water.
Now is the time to replace that old washing
machine or toilet, or take advantage of cost-saving
rebates for new outdoor rotating sprinkler nozzles
or a water-based irrigation controller. Rebates are
still available for SMWD customers looking to save
water by replacing certain non water-efficient
appliances, fixtures and irrigation systems.
For more information regarding
emergency drinking water supplies, visit
www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water.shtm.
But hurry, the current rebate program ends
May 31. For more information, visit
www.socalwatersmart.com.
Landscape Overhaul Cuts Water Usage for Local Community
Oso Valley Greenbelt Association develops a five-year plan to save water and money
When it comes to
landscaping, there's more
to saving water than just
planting drought-tolerant
plants.
The Oso Valley
Greenbelt Association in
Mission Viejo saved 108
million gallons of water
and more than $251,500 in
Community slopes
two years by adopting a
BEFORE
systematic, long-term
maintenance plan founded on resource efficiency.
The association hired Professional Community
Management (PCM), Monarch Environmental Inc.,
and Harvest Landscape Enterprises Inc., to help
reduce the flow of water — and red ink —
pouring out of its monthly maintenance budget.
The 150-acre landscape had become wildly
overgrown in 25 years. Broken irrigation pipes,
capped off sprinkler heads and detached timers
meant that much of the irrigation system was
malfunctioning. Overgrowth on the slopes
blocked many of the sprinkler heads that did
work, prompting the need to leave timers on —
sometimes for as long as an hour —to make up
for the lack of irrigation elsewhere.
“This wasn't a simple maintenance contract,”
said Steven Schinhofen, president of Harvest
Landscape Enterprises Inc.
“We spent a year out there
with a chipper clearing
overgrowth, repairing
broken lines, installing
smart timers and
systematically fine-tuning
the system.”
Landscape consultant
Matt Davenport of
Community slopes
Monarch Environmental
AFTER
worked with the
association board to create a five-year master
plan, which Harvest has successfully begun
implementing, he said.This meant upgrading the
irrigation system, reducing passive turf areas,
removing dead or dying plants, rejuvenating high
impact areas and replanting designated areas
within the community.
PCM community manager Laurisa Quella said
the results have been significant.“We are very
pleased with the water cost savings the
association has realized and, at the conclusion of
the program, the beautification of the slopes
throughout the community will be greatly
enhanced.”
For more water saving tips for indoors and
outdoors, visit www.smwd.com or
www.bewaterwise.com.
Join SMWD for our Free Gardeners Workshops
As part of SMWD's Operation Conservation program, a series of free Home Gardeners Workshops are
available to SMWD customers to assist in reducing outdoor water usage. The upcoming workshops —
June 3 and July 15 — will be held in the evenings and are taught through hands-on demonstrations and
displays at the District's office at 26111 Antonio Parkway in Las Flores. Light refreshments are provided and
classes are limited to 50 attendees. To make a reservation, please call Tina Trotta at (949) 459-6645 or email
martinat@smwd.com. For more information, visit www.smwd.com
Soils, Watering & Fertilizing
Thursday, June 3
6:30pm-8:30pm
Efficient Irrigation
Thursday, July 15
6:30pm-8:30pm
How long should you run your sprinklers?
How does soil condition affect plant growth and
watering? This helpful class will answer these
questions and more. Other topics include how to
select fertilizers and how to conduct a relatively
simple irrigation system test on lawn areas using
coffee cups. Control clocks (timers) will also be
available for an instruction on programming.
This class provides
valuable tips on how
to irrigate your
landscape more efficiently so that your plants get
the water they need while preventing runoff.The
principles of efficient irrigation will also be covered,
as well as system uniformity, maintenance, pressure
and evapotranspiration (ET).
OnTap_May10_3
4/26/10
6:07 PM
Page 2
Emergency
(continued from front page)
If you decide to re-use storage containers,
choose two-liter plastic soft drink bottles — not
plastic jugs or cardboard containers that have had
milk or fruit juice in them. Milk protein and fruit
sugars cannot be adequately removed from
containers and provide an environment for
bacterial growth. If re-using soft drink bottles, be
sure to follow appropriate steps to properly
sanitize the containers.
Can I store my tap water?
Take Advantage of Residential
Rebates Before May 31
Yes.The water SMWD supplies to its customers
for drinking and cooking is suitable for storing for
emergencies. Remember that the container used
to collect and store the water must also be clean.
Place a date on the outside of the container so you
know when you filled it. Store in a cool, dark place
and replace the water every six months if not using
commercially bottled water.
Now is the time to replace that old washing
machine or toilet, or take advantage of cost-saving
rebates for new outdoor rotating sprinkler nozzles
or a water-based irrigation controller. Rebates are
still available for SMWD customers looking to save
water by replacing certain non water-efficient
appliances, fixtures and irrigation systems.
For more information regarding
emergency drinking water supplies, visit
www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water.shtm.
But hurry, the current rebate program ends
May 31. For more information, visit
www.socalwatersmart.com.
Landscape Overhaul Cuts Water Usage for Local Community
Oso Valley Greenbelt Association develops a five-year plan to save water and money
When it comes to
landscaping, there's more
to saving water than just
planting drought-tolerant
plants.
The Oso Valley
Greenbelt Association in
Mission Viejo saved 108
million gallons of water
and more than $251,500 in
Community slopes
two years by adopting a
BEFORE
systematic, long-term
maintenance plan founded on resource efficiency.
The association hired Professional Community
Management (PCM), Monarch Environmental Inc.,
and Harvest Landscape Enterprises Inc., to help
reduce the flow of water — and red ink —
pouring out of its monthly maintenance budget.
The 150-acre landscape had become wildly
overgrown in 25 years. Broken irrigation pipes,
capped off sprinkler heads and detached timers
meant that much of the irrigation system was
malfunctioning. Overgrowth on the slopes
blocked many of the sprinkler heads that did
work, prompting the need to leave timers on —
sometimes for as long as an hour —to make up
for the lack of irrigation elsewhere.
“This wasn't a simple maintenance contract,”
said Steven Schinhofen, president of Harvest
Landscape Enterprises Inc.
“We spent a year out there
with a chipper clearing
overgrowth, repairing
broken lines, installing
smart timers and
systematically fine-tuning
the system.”
Landscape consultant
Matt Davenport of
Community slopes
Monarch Environmental
AFTER
worked with the
association board to create a five-year master
plan, which Harvest has successfully begun
implementing, he said.This meant upgrading the
irrigation system, reducing passive turf areas,
removing dead or dying plants, rejuvenating high
impact areas and replanting designated areas
within the community.
PCM community manager Laurisa Quella said
the results have been significant.“We are very
pleased with the water cost savings the
association has realized and, at the conclusion of
the program, the beautification of the slopes
throughout the community will be greatly
enhanced.”
For more water saving tips for indoors and
outdoors, visit www.smwd.com or
www.bewaterwise.com.
Join SMWD for our Free Gardeners Workshops
As part of SMWD's Operation Conservation program, a series of free Home Gardeners Workshops are
available to SMWD customers to assist in reducing outdoor water usage. The upcoming workshops —
June 3 and July 15 — will be held in the evenings and are taught through hands-on demonstrations and
displays at the District's office at 26111 Antonio Parkway in Las Flores. Light refreshments are provided and
classes are limited to 50 attendees. To make a reservation, please call Tina Trotta at (949) 459-6645 or email
martinat@smwd.com. For more information, visit www.smwd.com
Soils, Watering & Fertilizing
Thursday, June 3
6:30pm-8:30pm
Efficient Irrigation
Thursday, July 15
6:30pm-8:30pm
How long should you run your sprinklers?
How does soil condition affect plant growth and
watering? This helpful class will answer these
questions and more. Other topics include how to
select fertilizers and how to conduct a relatively
simple irrigation system test on lawn areas using
coffee cups. Control clocks (timers) will also be
available for an instruction on programming.
This class provides
valuable tips on how
to irrigate your
landscape more efficiently so that your plants get
the water they need while preventing runoff.The
principles of efficient irrigation will also be covered,
as well as system uniformity, maintenance, pressure
and evapotranspiration (ET).
OnTap_May10_3
4/26/10
6:07 PM
Page 1
Salvia Clevelandii 'Winifred Gilman'
Plant this California Native shrub in a sunny location
and enjoy its fragrance all summer
Salvia clevelandii 'Winifred Gilman' is
one of the smaller clevelandii only growing to
about 3 feet tall. It is extremely drought-tolerant
with attractive violet blue to lavender golf ball-shaped flower clusters
and fragrant grey-green foliage. The bloom period is about one
month in spring or early summer. Removing spent flowers will
produce a second flush of bloom later in the season. Bees and
hummingbirds are attracted to this extremely fragrant plant, which
can be used as a foundation plant background for perennial gardens.
Watering Calendar for Spring
Winifred Gilman
Season:
Size:
Color:
Water:
Plant:
Spring to early summer
3 feet tall and wide
Violet Blue
Low
Full Sun
Betty H. Olson, Ph.D.
GRASS
Month
Maximum minutes per start time
Number of times to run your sprinklers per day
Number of days per week
Average minutes per week
May
Jun
Jul
4
3
3
32
4
3
3
40
5
3
3
44
May
Jun
Jul
4
3
2
24
4
3
2
28
4
3
3
32
PLANTS
Month
Maximum minutes per start time
Number of times to run your sprinklers per day
Number of days per week
Average minutes per week
For more information, please contact Gary Russell at 949-459-6533
Your
fromthetheSanta
SantaMargarita
Margarita
Yournewsletter
newsletter from
WaterWater
DistrictDistrict
smwd.com
Salvia clevelandii
Board of Directors
A watering guide is available at www.bewaterwise.com to help
homeowners individualize their irrigation controller (timer) settings.
The guide is based on plant material, soil type and location (zip code).
Irrigation demands vary with the weather (season), plant material and
soil conditions.
Listed below is a sample of irrigation guidelines for cool season
grass and moderate water plants. We have used clay soil with aboveground sprinklers for our calculations. Always check your plants for
stress (under-irrigating) and watch for runoff which indicates that the
sprinkler run times are too long. Modify accordingly.
Multiple start times in a day are needed as clay soil will not allow
water to percolate quickly.This will help limit runoff and wasted water.
Sandy or loam soils will allow for longer run times, but these soils are
rare in the SMWD boundary.
On Tap
M AY 2 0 1 0
Charley Wilson
Roger Faubel
Saundra F. Jacobs
Bill Lawson
General Manager
John J. Schatz
Preparing for an Emergency. Are You Ready?
In this Issue
• Operation Conservation Spotlight:
Oso Valley Greenbelt Association
• Residential Rebates Available
Through May 31
• Free Gardeners Workshops in
June & July
• Native Plant of the Month:
Salvia clevelandii 'Winifred Gilman'
Helpful tips for storing safe drinking water
We often take our household
water supply for granted. However,
when safe drinking water is
unavailable, it is more than just an
inconvenience — it can become a
health emergency. In Southern California,
a large-scale earthquake may interrupt the
supply of safe drinking water. Interruptions
may be for only a short period of time, or
for several days. Every household
should have an emergency water
supply to meet its members' needs.
How much water should I store?
On Tap is published bi-monthly
to keep Santa Margarita Water
District customers informed
about water-related issues and
upcoming events. If you have
any story ideas or suggestions,
please mail them to
General Manager John Schatz at
26111 Antonio Parkway,
Las Flores, CA 92688
or e-mail at johns@smwd.com.
______
Join Us on Facebook and Twitter
May 2010 On Tap
Item No. 30154-I-0043
Having an ample supply of clean water is a top priority in an
emergency. Needs may differ depending upon age, physical
condition, activity, diet and climate. Most people need to drink at
least two quarts (half gallon) of water each day. You will also need water for
food preparation and hygiene.
Store at least one gallon of water per person, per day. If you have pets,
allow 1 quart per day for each dog or cat. Storing at least a three-day supply
is recommended, but consider storing a two-week supply if your home has
enough space for it.
What's the best way to prepare and store water?
To prepare the safest and most reliable emergency water supply, it's
recommended that you purchase commercially bottled water. Keep bottled
water in its original container, and do not open until you need to use it.You
will also want to observe the expiration date.
If you are preparing your own containers of water, you should purchase
food-grade water storage containers from surplus or camping supply stores.
Containers not labeled for food or beverage storage could release harmful
chemicals into the water. Never use a container that has held toxic
substances.
(continued on next page)
For questions about
your account, upcoming events
or general information
Email: custservice@smwd.com
Phone:949-459-6420
Fax:949-459-6460
Website:www.smwd.com