Water World: Millions of gallons of water saved

April 19, 2022 - By Lauren Dowdle

Location: Alameda, Calif.

To conserve water and reduce overspray on houses and sidewalks, Serpico Landscaping installed more than 40,000 square feet of in-line drip irrigation in the narrow planter strips at the Sandpiper Cove Homeowners’ Association. The team also installed an ETwater Smart Controller to ensure consistent conservation, says Peter Novak, president of Serpico Landscaping.

These moves reduced irrigation water usage from more than 5 million gallons to 2.4 million gallons annually. The new system slashed water costs by more than 45 percent — not including service, seismic and pumping costs. The net result for the project was 60 percent less in water expenses annually.

“When a contractor can produce that kind of result for their client, the client will have a more positive view toward other enhancement opportunities, especially ones that will help increase property values,” Novak says.

The extensive project required some creative solutions. Serpico created a parking safety plan for the areas under renovation. That included a phased no parking plan where crews communicated about the areas impacted by the project to community members who used street parking. Novak says the project took four weeks to complete and provided lasting benefits.

“As the cost of water service has risen exponentially over the last several years, these savings will compound over the life of the system and not only pay for itself over time via the savings,” Novak says.