Sign up for a satellite sprinkler

Make tomorrow that special day! Simply by dialing (866) 846-3725 you will be saving money and doing something special for the environment.

By taking the time to dial that number you will be preserving our quality of life, our bay, our water quality and our water. Can you remember the last time you accomplished so much with just one call? I can’t.

By now you are probably asking yourself, “What is she talking about?” Do the words “Smartimer Rebate Program” ring a bell or catch your eye? They should since the city of Newport Beach has been trying to get your attention about it. At a minimum, they have been putting it in your water bill, advertising it through the Utilities Department and highlighting it in the “Newport Beach City Scenes,” Spring 2006 (Information To Better Serve Our Community), to which you can also subscribe by going to www.nbcitynews.com.

If you have been out of the loop, Smartimer is the program that will switch out your dinosaur sprinkler valves and hook you up to the latest technology of satellite-controlled sprinklers. Never again will you water your grass when it is raining.

Unfortunately, we all pretty much know that Newport Beach doesn’t get an A+ in public outreach, so I thought I would try to help get the word out.

When you dial the magic number you will be calling the Municipal Water District of Orange County rebate-program information line, where you can ask a (live) person to mail you out an application. Fill out the application, mail it back and see if you qualify. As a homeowner, you need to have approximately 1,200 square feet of landscape that you water/irrigate. However, this program is not just for homeowners; there are commercial applications available at the same number for businesses, homeowner associations, apartments and condos. Not only will you save money since you will use less water (up to 25% less), but you will also do the right thing for our environment.

Considering the fact that Newport Beach is contemplating raising our water prices in the near future, there has never been a better time to call. According to the county water district, your gardener can install your new controller and sprinkler valves or you can use one of the companies listed on the application. Call the magic number again when the installation is complete, and they send out an inspector to ensure that you are “A-OK” and determine how much money you can get back as a rebate. Your gardener then programs your ET (evapotranspiration) Controller with information regarding your soil type, grass, flowers, etc. That’s it. Now pat yourself on the back for doing a really good thing.

I imagine our city is using the Smartimer satellite-controlled sprinklers at all our parks and has encouraged the schools within our city to do the same. Perhaps the City Council can enlighten us on what the city is doing to save our bay from the run-off of watering our medians and parks when it is raining ? something all of us see still happening. Conceivably, we could take the money we save on water and put it to better use, such as an emergency warning system or lighted crosswalks in Corona Del Mar.

We all wish Harriet Weider, former supervisor and chairwoman of the Board of the Orange County Supervisors (the first woman in the county to hold such a prestigious position), a very speedy recovery from recent knee surgery. She is an icon and an inspiration to all of us. Get well, Harriet!