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Landscape: Overspray
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Spray irrigation devices require frequent maintenance and adjustment to keep their spray directed where you want it. When the heads are placed directly adjacent to hardscape, and the occasional effects of wind are added, overspray is almost impossible to avoid.
Santa Monica Municipal Code 7.16.020 prohibits irrigation overspray and/or runoff onto hardscapes such as gutters, streets or alleys.
Try to limit use of spray-type irrigation as much as possible:
- If your landscape is composed of individual plants, such as shrubs, rather than continuous groundcover like turf; convert your spray system to drip irrigation.
- Re-landscape with individual plants (one-gallon size or larger) and convert the spray system to drip irrigation.
- Replace all the plant material with a permeable, non-living groundcover such as gravel, rock mulch or decomposed granite that will not require irrigation.
- Install a buffer strip of permeable, non-living groundcover such as gravel, rock mulch or decomposed granite between the plant material and the hardscape and move the sprinkler heads inward to the edge of the planting bed. (See diagram) Because of the possibility of wind and improper adjustment, this solution is not fool-proof.
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- Install a subsurface irrigation system such as ECS or Wick. Note that these systems are relatively costly.
Strategies for Eliminating Irrigation Overspray and Runoff  |
Last updated: Tuesday, 04/14/2009
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Green Garden Academy 2010
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This 12-part monthly series  of classes is the official school of sustainable gardening for Santa Monica. Each class walks participants through a different topic to help make your garden a huge success.
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