Businesses urged to conserve, too

Facing a fifth year of drought, everyone in northern Nevada is being asked to conserve water, and that includes area businesses.

Like homeowners, businesses are on a two-day a week watering schedule in the Reno area and odd-even day timetables elsewhere.

In addition, businesses are working with the Truckee Meadows Water Authority, which is in the second year of a three-year pilot program testing clocks that set off sprinklers at optimum times.

The experimental clocks are programmed with historical data measuring evaporative transportation, or the rate at which water evaporates, according to Andy Gebhardt, supervisor, customer services and conservation at TMWA.

"Last year was the first year and the results so far have been pretty positive," said Gebhardt.

"On average, users used 20 percent less water."

TMWA has 90 clocks installed at area businesses that are taking part in the study.

One of those businesses is the Reno Hilton, which spends about $40,000 a month during the summer on water, said Steve Kettner, director of operations at the gaming resort.

Kettner said the hotel hasn't yet calculated its savings from the program, but is soon installing meters to keep track of water usage.

All businesses can do more with landscaping, according to local landscapers.

"We use a lot of rock mulches," said John Priester, landscape architect with Stantec Consulting in Reno.

Rock mulch cuts down on water use because it helps to keep water in the soil and prevent it from evaporating, said Priester.

The area is planted with large shrubs and trees, too, to shade the rock mulch so it doesn't heat up buildings around it.

Another strategy is to landscape using water zones - placing plants requiring the same amount of hydration together so water is not wasted over-watering for the thirstiest plants.

Interpretative Gardens, a Reno-based landscaper, uses water zoning, for example, to create and market a series of what it calls bioregional gardens, said David Schroeder, landscape architect in training.

Those range from one called Truckee River, a garden using native plants found in local stream beds that require the most moisture, to another named Great Basin which uses drought tolerant plants such as sage and rabbit brush and Indian Blanket.

The latter is popular, said Schroeder, because in addition to being water smart it also requires almost no maintenance.

"We do a good amount of business removing lawn," said Schroeder, "and putting in xeriscaping."