Why are the City Parks watering outside the "normal" watering restriction timeframes? We are here to help answer those questions you may have. 

What are the differences between parks and lawns? 

• Parks, especially playing fields, get more foot traffic than the average lawn and therefore require more care to keep alive.  
• Since the public uses many of our fields during morning and evening hours, the window of time to water the parks is shortened, compared to residential watering times. 
• Sprinkler heads require higher pressure, so some stations do not receive water even though residential sprinkler heads work under reduced pressures. 
• Parks can have anywhere from 50-70 sprinkler stations while residential lawns have 5-15 stations.  
• If grass were to die, the sod replacement is required to maintain parks and allow for recreational use. Sod replacement in parks costs taxpayers’ money.
• Parks watering during the day helps residential water pressure during the night. 

What active water conservation efforts are being taken by the city? 

• Reduce watering days at City buildings and parks: We have reduced the amount of water on our parks and other city properties. The grass doesn’t look as good this year, but it has helped us get through the current drought year.
• Smart Irrigation Clocks: On most of our parks, we have installed smart irrigation clocks. These devices will automatically shut off the sprinklers if it is raining. This helps us reduce the amount of water we use. 
• Water-conservation design with the splash pad: At the Syracuse Island splash pad, the City designed it to conserve water. After the water runs down the drain, it is captured, filtered, treated, and recirculated, just like a swimming pool. This way we don’t lose the water, it can be re-used instead. 
• Convert parking strips to low-water landscaping: At City Hall and the Community Center, the City approved a project that will convert the parking strip (the area between the curb and the sidewalk) to a low-water landscape. This project will happen later this summer or in the fall. Parking strips are not very efficient with water because the sprinklers tend to spray on the sidewalk and the road instead of the grass only. 
• Helping residents convert parking strips: The City is offering to help residents who want to convert their parking strips from grass to a low-water landscape. Residents can call our Public Works Department and get on the schedule to have the City come and remove the existing grass and haul it away. This saves the resident a lot of time and labor when converting their parking strip.

Questions, comments, or concerns? Please reach out to Parks and Recreation Department at parksandrecreation@syracuseut.com