Texas contractors serving homeowners who are interested in planning irrigation schedules based on the weather have greater access to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service WaterMyYard app. The Extension Service announced the app is now available in more than 70 Texas cities.
The free app uses local weather data from about 60 ET weather states to estimate how much water a lawn needs. Users enter information about their irrigation system and location, then receive weekly watering recommendations by email, text or through the WaterMyYard app. The recommendations account for recent rainfall and weather conditions.
Guy Fipps, PhD, P.E., AgriLife Extension statewide irrigation specialist in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Bryan-College Station, has led the development of the program, first as a web-based program and later as a smartphone app in 2020. The app currently has 55,308 users.
Based on current user data, Fipps projects the program will save:
- 3.9 billion gallons of water statewide each year. That’s equivalent to the water use of nearly 35,663 households annually.
- About $14.2 million in annual water costs, or about $284 per household.
The program continues to expand its reach through partnerships with water utilities and municipalities across Texas.
