How to Calculate Lawn Irrigation Water Usage and Costs
To provide your lawn with one inch of water takes a little over half a gallon per square foot (0.623 gallon to be more exact). That means that every 10’x10’ area will require over 62 gallons of water. That doesn’t sound like much until you consider that a 100’ x 100’ lawn uses 6,230 gallons of water every time you turn on the sprinklers!
To calculate the amount of water you use, multiply the width times the length of your yard in feet to get the number of square feet of area. Then multiply that figure by 0.623 to come up with the number of gallons used.
This assumes that your yard is square or rectangular. For more unusual shapes, you’ll have to dig out your old high school geometry book to come up with the amount of area involved.
To calculate the cost of watering your yard, divide the number of gallons used by 1,000 then multiply by the price you pay per 1,000 gallons. Don’t forget to include the sewer costs unless you have a separate meter.