Watering is another practice that is often performed improperly, resulting in various problems. The old rule of thumb is "water 1 inch once a week."  As easy as this sounds, it is often not implemented properly. The first issue is irrigation systems often apply the water faster than the soil can absorb it (think compaction), resulting in a portion of the water running off into the street drains.  With irrigation zones it is a better practice to run several short water cycles (versus one long water cycle) successively repeating them them until 1" of water is soaked into the soil.  By programming the controller this way, you can also add or remove cycles as needed to adjust to weather patterns.  The general guideline is if you see your footprints, the grass needs water. The second issue is usually the time of day the watering is performed.  Just remember water with the sunrise, to the grass water is a morning cup of coffee.