Here is another home in the Alverado historic neighborhood. This one has some irrigation going on.
Many yards in the Phoenix area keep their lawns green by using irrigation. If a neighborhood is on the irrigation system, neighbors will take turns turning on and shutting off the water according to a pre-defined schedule. The water will come from an underground routing system. Whoever is responsible for turning the water on will go to the well-like station and open the valve and gates so the water will flow.
Each yard receiving irrigation will be formed so there is a little lip around the edges of the yard to hold the water in. The water fills up the yard after an hour or two of water release then is allowed to soak into the soil keeping the grass green and healthy.
The neighborhood I lived in in Phoenix had irrigation. Due to the erratic of receiving water, most people subscribed to an irrigation service which took responsibility for opening and shutting valves (which sometimes happens in the middle of the night!) Irrigation is very cheap compared to the cost of city water. However, the homeowners are responsible for any needed repairs to the lines and there was always a constant battle of trying to get some people to pay their needed share for any maintenance.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pretty innovative way keeping everything green and for community cooperation. Kathy's tale about financial responsibility probably occurs here and there...too bad. I like the door and the reflection at 310.
ReplyDeleteI know someone who went out in the middle of the night in his back yard to turn the irrigation valve and got locked out of his house. He was wearing only his underwear. He walked around the front of his house and rang the doorbell for his wife to let him in, but the police were patrolling the street and stopped him.
ReplyDeleteWhen his wife came to the door, she decided to have a little fun and said "Officer, I have never seen this man before." She told them otherwise as they were ready to haul him off to jail.
We used to have irrigation in Mesa when we lived in a former orange grove with 30 mature trees on our lot. Irrigation is the only way for the deep watering needed to reach the root structure for non-desert trees.
A bit strange, if you ask me. Mosquitoes?
ReplyDeletegreat images and reflections. irrigation is great but also brings scorpions who float in the water
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting. I never realized that's how it works.
ReplyDeletethat brings back memories!
ReplyDeleteDave's story was funny but I would bet the police were not amused.
I remember that the irrigation water brought a herd of earwigs into the yard. Now there is an insect that I don't miss.
This is a different kind of irrigation from the kind we have in Florida. Down there, the communities provide waste water that gets recirculated through irrigation sprinklers that every home has.
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I wondered how this worked in town. Out here in the country it's done a bit differently. Love there being green grass. I know we have battles between keeping things green or desert, but we have so much asphalt and tile now, we need some green. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of such a system!
ReplyDeleteWow,earwigs, mosquitoes, scorpions,locked out spouses. This topic has brought a lot of interesting comments.
ReplyDeleteDoes your area get its water from the Colorado River? Is there a water-shortage problem?
ReplyDeleteThat was very common when we lived in Phoenix in the early 50s and then early 60s. We didn't have it at our house. We had to use sprinklers. Maybe that's why our grass always looked so burned out? :-)
ReplyDeleteI love this house. These lawns are a mosquitos dream.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I saw this in Phoenix I was amazed. I do wonder how long it takes for the water to soak into the soil. I like your information about the system.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this system either Sharon, I can see how it would give the lawns a really good soak, but we just have way to many water restrictions here to even consider it. It certainly makes for some fab reflections before it soaks into the ground. Such an interesting post.
ReplyDeleteThat's very interesting and I guess it makes all sense in a such a hot place like Arizona.
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