How Much of Your Water Bill Is Actually Going to Your Yard?
Posted September 27, 2026
The EPA’s WaterSense program puts outdoor water use at more than 30% of the average U.S. household’s total water use — and as much as 60% in arid climates. Las Cruces, sitting in the Chihuahuan Desert, is squarely in that higher range. If a summer water bill felt high, the yard is very likely where most of it went, not the inside of the house.
Where Does the Water in Your Bill Actually Go?
EPA data breaks down outdoor water waste in a way that’s worth sitting with: as much as 50% of the water used outdoors is lost to wind, evaporation, and runoff from inefficient irrigation methods and systems, and a poorly maintained automatic sprinkler system can waste up to 25,000 gallons a year. That’s not a rounding error — on an average bill, that’s real money spent on water that never actually reached a plant’s roots.
Is Landscaping Worth the Money?
This is a real, commonly asked question, and the honest answer depends on what “worth it” means to you — but on the water-cost side specifically, the math is fairly direct. EPA figures show that upgrading to a WaterSense-labeled irrigation controller can cut water use by up to 30% and save around 15,000 gallons a year, while professional irrigation auditing and management can reduce use by about 15%, saving roughly 7,600 gallons annually. Those aren’t hypothetical marketing numbers — they’re EPA’s own measured ranges, and they apply directly to a Las Cruces system that’s likely still running an inefficient, oversized summer schedule.
| Fix | Potential Savings (EPA figures) |
|---|---|
| WaterSense-labeled irrigation controller | Up to 30% reduction, ~15,000 gallons/year |
| Professional irrigation audit & management | ~15% reduction, ~7,600 gallons/year |
| Poorly maintained sprinkler system (the cost of not fixing it) | Can waste up to 25,000 gallons/year |
How Can You Actually Capture Irrigation Savings?
- Fix the irrigation system itself. A properly zoned, well-maintained system with efficient controllers and emitters is the single biggest lever — see our Irrigation & Sprinkler Systems service for what that assessment actually looks like.
- Reduce what the system has to water in the first place. Water-wise, xeric plant selection means less demand on the system overall, regardless of how efficient the hardware is. See Xeriscaping.
The two aren’t competing options — an efficient system watering water-wise plants captures savings from both directions at once, which is usually where the biggest year-over-year bill reduction actually comes from.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my water bill comes from my yard in Las Cruces?
Outdoor water use typically accounts for more than 30% of an average U.S. household’s water use, and as much as 60% in arid climates like Las Cruces, per EPA WaterSense data.
How much water does a poorly maintained sprinkler system waste?
Up to 25,000 gallons a year, according to EPA figures — and as much as 50% of outdoor water use is lost to wind, evaporation, and runoff from inefficient irrigation.
Is it better to fix my irrigation system or change my plants to save water?
Both together capture more savings than either alone — an efficient irrigation system watering water-wise, xeric plants reduces waste from both directions at once.
Where to Start
If you don’t know which of the two is losing more water on your specific property, that’s exactly what a site visit is for. Get in touch and we’ll tell you honestly where the waste actually is before recommending anything.
Source: US EPA WaterSense — Statistics and Facts.
Written by the crew at Rooted Landscape Co.