Utah Drought: Keeping Your Home and Yard Alive - Part 1: Outdoor Water Waste You’re Missing

If you’ve lived in the Salt Lake Valley for more than a single season, you know the drill. When the summer heat hits Sandy, Herriman, and Riverton, it doesn’t just get warm, it gets "is-the-sun-actually-trying-to-melt-my-siding" hot. We live in one of the driest states in the country, and drought isn't just a buzzword here; it’s a way of life.

We see the effects of our climate every day. During drought conditions, it's important for homeowner's to think about conservation. We all want a green lawn, but we also want to keep our utility bills from skyrocketing and ensure there’s actually enough water in the reservoir for everyone.

Did you know that in Utah, roughly half or more of residential water use during the summer months goes toward irrigation? Additionally, a significant portion of that water can be lost through evaporation, runoff, and system issues.

Welcome to Part 1 of our series, Utah Drought: Keeping Your Home and Yard Alive. Today, we’re looking at the low-hanging fruit, the outdoor water waste you might be missing right under your nose.

1. The Dripping Thief: Leaking Hose Bibs and Spigots

We’ve all seen it. You walk past the side of your house in West Valley City or Magna, and you hear that rhythmic drip... drip... drip... coming from your outdoor faucet. You might think, "Eh, it’s just a tiny leak, I’ll get to it when I have time."

But in reality, a single leaking hose bib can waste hundreds of gallons of water over a month. When you multiply that across an entire summer season, you’re essentially throwing money into the dirt.

Usually, these leaks happen because of a worn-out washer inside the handle or because the freeze-thaw cycle of a Utah winter cracked the internal components. If you didn't disconnect your hoses last October, there's a good chance that ice backed up into the spigot and caused internal damage.

Beyond just the water waste, a leaking spigot can lead to cheap fixes turning into expensive problems. If that water pools against your foundation, you’re looking at potential structural issues or basement seepage.

Pro-Tip: Check your spigots while they are turned "off" and while they are turned "on" with a hose attached. If you see water spraying out of the handle area, it’s time for a quick repair or a full replacement.

(Minimalist black and white AI drawing of an outdoor faucet dripping into a small puddle)

2. The Sidewalk River: Sprinkler Heads Spraying Concrete

Have you ever gone for a morning walk in your neighborhood and had to dodge a "gauntlet" of misaligned sprinklers? It’s a common sight in the Salt Lake Valley. We see sprinklers in Riverton and Sandy that are doing a fantastic job of watering the asphalt, the sidewalk, and the neighbor’s fence, but not so much the grass.

Watering your driveway doesn’t make it grow. It just creates runoff that carries lawn chemicals into our storm drains and wastes a precious resource. In fact, research shows that simply being smarter about how you water can reduce your outdoor usage by 25% without you having to pull out a single blade of grass.

Sprinkler heads get knocked out of alignment by lawnmowers, kids playing, or even just shifting soil. Sometimes the little plastic gears inside the head wear out, causing it to "get stuck" in one position.

Here is what we recommend for every homeowner:

• The "Walk-By" Inspection: Once a month, turn on your zones manually and watch them for a full cycle.

• Adjust the Radius: Most heads can be adjusted with a simple flathead screwdriver. Make sure the spray stops at the edge of the grass.

• Check for Clogs: If one head is barely bubbling while the others are full-force, you likely have a clogged nozzle that’s causing pressure issues in the rest of the line.

Fixing these exterior damage prevention issues is one of the easiest ways to be a good neighbor and a smart homeowner.

3. The Invisible Drain: Cracked Irrigation Lines and Slow Leaks

This is the one that keeps homeowners up at night because you can’t always see it. An underground leak in your irrigation system is like having a hole in your wallet that you don't know about until you see the bill.

In areas like Herriman where we have some rocky soil or in West Valley City where older systems are common, irrigation lines can crack for a variety of reasons. Tree roots are a major culprit, as are "ground heaves" from our dramatic temperature swings.

How do you spot a leak that’s buried 12 inches underground? Look for these hidden home problems:

• Spongy Spots: If you have a patch of grass that feels like a marshmallow even when you haven't watered in days, there's a leak underneath.

• The "Vibrant" Patch: If one area of your lawn is suddenly a much darker, lusher green than the rest of the yard, it's likely poaching water from a cracked line.

• Low Pressure: If your sprinkler heads aren't popping up all the way, the water is escaping somewhere else before it reaches the head.

If you suspect an underground leak, don't wait. A small crack can quickly turn into a washout that undermines your landscaping or even your driveway.

We’re Here to Help You Conserve

At Your Handyman Pros, we believe that maintaining a home in the Salt Lake Valley means being a good steward of our environment. Whether you need a new frost-free hose bib installed or help troubleshooting why your backyard has turned into a swamp, we’ve got your back.

It’s often these small repairs that protect your home value. Taking care of your exterior maintenance now saves you from massive headaches when the real "dog days" of summer arrive in July and August.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll talk about how the drought is actually affecting the structure of your home, from foundation gaps to UV damage on your paint.

In the meantime, if you need a hand getting your outdoor water situation under control, give us a call. We serve the entire Salt Lake Valley, including Herriman, Riverton, Sandy, Magna, and West Valley City.