Need professional opinion

Tuesday’s Shoshone News-Press included a mandate from the Pinehurst Water District (PWD) to limit lawn watering to 15 minutes per area. Nothing is said about the difference between hand watering with a full stream from a garden hose, using an automatic sprinkler, or with mini soaker hoses.

Assuming Pinehurst water is pumped from the lower aquifer into a storage tank, the critical need is to keep the tank full for fighting a fire — unless the aquifer is drying up. Is it?

Professional guidance is needed about minimal watering to keep lawns and gardens alive such as soaking 1 or 2 inches into the soil, and number of days between watering. 15 minutes might be excessive using an open garden hose but inadequate using soaker hoses.

I water with an automatic sprinkling three days each week; seems to work OK. Professional guidance is needed to establish how often and how long for each area.

BOB LAUNHARDT

Pinehurst