DIY Lawn Irrigation Audit

Did you know the most common reason for brown spots in your lawn is poor or uneven sprinkler coverage? When you turn on your irrigation system, it may look like every zone is getting the same amount of water, but often that’s not actually the case.

There’s an easy, fast audit you can do to find out whether your irrigation system is watering each zone evenly. Many state water providers offer irrigation audit services for little to no cost, but this one is so simple you can easily do it yourself whenever it works for you.

All you need are 5-10 identical containers - clear cups, empty tuna or cat food cans, rain gauges, or something similar - plus a ruler and a pen and paper to record your measurements.

Place the containers randomly throughout one irrigation zone, making sure to put some in brown spots and some in green spots. Each container should sit level and not be placed right next to a sprinkler head. Give each one at least a few feet of space.

Run a complete cycle for the zone you’re testing. While the system is running, look for damaged or crooked heads. When the cycle is done, measure the amount of water in each container, ideally to the nearest one-tenth of an inch. Repeat the process for each irrigation zone.

Then do a little simple math and compare the average amount of water collected in the green areas versus the brown areas in each zone. Even a small difference can matter. If a green area receives 0.2 inches of water and a brown area receives 0.1 inch, the green area is getting twice as much water every time the system runs.

Common causes of brown spots include heads sitting too low to the ground, which can create green “donuts” in the turf; heads that don’t pop up perfectly vertical; heads that are blocked or not turning correctly; and plants or landscape materials interfering with the spray pattern.

Written by Kate