Watch almost any Dallas street early on a watering morning and you will see sidewalks, driveways and gutters getting a good soaking. The City of Dallas ordinance bans watering pavement and letting water run into the street. More practically, every gallon on the concrete is a gallon that did not reach the lawn.
Why it happens
Heads aimed wrong. Heads get bumped by mowers and feet and turn over time. A quarter-circle head meant to spray along the curb ends up spraying into the street.
Wrong arc. A full-circle head where a half-circle belongs, or an adjustable nozzle opened too wide.
Tilted heads. Clay movement and settling tilt heads. A tilted head throws water up and over the lawn edge.
Narrow areas with standard nozzles. A parkway strip between a sidewalk and the street might be only three or four feet wide. A standard spray nozzle throws 10 to 15 feet. There is no way to aim it so it stays on the grass.
High pressure. Spray heads that run at too high a pressure produce mist that drifts in the wind.
Watering when it is windy. Even well-adjusted heads drift in a stiff breeze.
Fixes, from easiest to most involved
Adjust arcs and aim
Most spray and rotor heads have adjustable arcs. With the zone running, turn each head so its spray edge lines up with the edge of the lawn. Adjustable nozzles let you set the arc; fixed nozzles need to be swapped for the right pattern. Rotors can be adjusted with a small tool to set the left and right stops.
Adjust the throw
Most spray nozzles have a screw on top that reduces the throw distance. Turning it down slightly can keep water off the walk. Do not turn it down so far that the spray becomes a stream; that reduces coverage. Rotors have a similar adjustment.
Use strip nozzles
For narrow parkways and side yards, there are strip-pattern nozzles that spray a rectangle instead of a circle: side strip, end strip and center strip. They are made exactly for narrow areas. This is one of the most effective fixes on many East Dallas and Lakewood streets.
Level and raise heads
A tilted head never sprays right. We dig around it, set it level on a flexible swing joint, and set the top at grade.
Fix pressure
If heads mist, pressure-regulating spray bodies or a regulator at the valve bring pressure into the right range. The result is larger droplets that land where they are aimed.
Convert to drip
For very narrow strips, beds along the house and plantings next to walks, drip irrigation is often the best answer. It puts water at the soil with no spray at all. See drip irrigation for Dallas beds.
Water at the right time
Calm early-morning hours are best. The Dallas ordinance already bans sprinkler watering from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., which removes the windiest, hottest part of the day.
Runoff is a related problem
Even a perfectly aimed head can send water into the street if it runs too long on clay soil or a slope. Water lands on the lawn, cannot soak in, and runs off. That is solved with scheduling, not aiming. See cycle and soak for Dallas clay.
Check after any yard work
Every time new sod goes in, a walk is replaced, or a bed is added, heads can end up in the wrong place or aimed at new hardscape. Run each zone afterward and watch for spray hitting concrete.
A quick self-check
- Run each zone manually during the day so you can see it
- Walk along every sidewalk, driveway and curb
- Note each head that sprays onto pavement
- Fix arcs and throw where you can
- Mark heads that need different nozzles, leveling or replacement
Call us
If you have more overspray than you can fix with a screwdriver, call 469-208-4222. We can re-nozzle, level and adjust a zone, or convert narrow areas to drip, so the water lands on the lawn and stays there.
Sources
Have a question this did not answer? Call 469-208-4222 and ask. More articles on the blog.
