The waterwise principles outlined in this manual can be applied to new and existing gardens. The following checklist has been designed to assist professionals involved in consultation or design of existing gardens.
The checklist is a series of questions which can be used to assess the garden during a site visit and make recommendations based on the Waterwise Garden Design principles.
Visit Water Corporation website for tips on how to select the right tree.
Visit Water Corporation website for Waterwise Plants search tool to help you choose the right plants.
Plants
- Are plant varieties drought hardy and able to survive on current watering restrictions?
- Are plants with similar watering requirements grouped together?
- Are existing plants healthy?
- Can some existing plants be retained?
- Are hardy ground covers and perennials used rather than water demanding annuals?
- Is there sufficient summer shade to northern and western areas of the site?
- Are windbreaks in place to minimise drying prevailing winds?
Irrigation
- Is the current watering schedule compliant with water restrictions?
- Is an irrigation controller installed?
- Is the controller programmable to comply with water restrictions?
- Is the system being run at an appropriate time of day?
- Are run times delivering the volume recommended by Water Corporation guidelines?
- Is a rain sensor fitted to the system?
- Is the existing system appropriate to the plant and site requirements?
- Are there separate stations for lawns and garden beds?
- Are emitters on the same line of the same type?
- Are sprinklers with coarse precipitation rather than fine sprays in use?
- Are there problems with overspray to hard surfaces and run off?
- Are sprinklers in garden beds an appropriate height?
- Are drip systems working efficiently?
- Can existing sprinkler systems be converted to drip irrigation?
Alternative Water Sources
- Pending site suitability, is it possible to install a bore?
- Is there potential to retrofit a grey water system?
- Is large scale rainwater storage an option?
Turf
- Is existing lawn functional?
- Is the turf a drought tolerant, warm season variety?
- Is the lawn healthy and resilient?
- Can the lawn areas be reduced/replaced?
- Are alternative surface treatments appropriate?
- Is lawn used as a thoroughfare?
Mulch
- Has mulch been applied to the property?
- Does existing mulch consist of large irregular particles of a non-absorbent material?
- Is mulch laid to sufficient depth (min 50mm)?
- If greywater is in use, is pipe covered by a minimum of 100mm of mulch?
Soil Improvement
- Has the existing soil been improved?
- Are the soil amendments used appropriate/sufficient for the site?
- Are wetting agents used in the garden?
Pools & Water Features
- Can existing water features be used more efficiently?
- Can water loss to evaporation be reduced by shading, windbreaks etc?
- Does the pool have a cover?
- Is a pool backwash minimisation system in place?
Water Sensitive Urban Design
- Does the existing paving gradient allow run off to be directed to lawns or garden beds?
- Can impermeable paving surfaces be reduced?
- Is there potential for stormwater/entrapment/harvesting?
- Can sloping areas be reshaped to maximise water absorption?
