As a rule, if the lawn was going off color due to drought stress, I would wait until tomorrow to water it. Most of the time, a thunder storm would pop up before the next day, and I would put off watering the lawn again. I did this for five years while I lived there, not really understanding anything other than I was not giving my money to the local water and sewer department. The last year we lived in that home, we decided to plant a garden in the back yard. At that point, I came up with what I call The Thunderstorm Irrigation Method.
Thunderstorms usually are infrequent and apply a large amount of water in a short period of time.
Modify irrigation practices to simulate this type of watering. Turn off the irrigation clock and water only when your landscape shows slight signs of drought stress. When this large volume of water moves through the soil profile, it pulls oxygen into the soil behind it. The influx of oxygen stimulates root development and microbial activity in the soil. In contrast, frequent light waterings keep a soil near or at its saturation point.