No, there is definitely a way to water without having runoff. Soil varies from area to area so there is no perfect watering time that will suit all types. The best way to eliminate runoff is to shorten watering cycles but run more cycles. We recommend shortening each cycle to 5-7 minutes, with at least an hour between each cycle giving the water enough time to absorb into the lawn.  If you have steep slopes, you may want to consider replacing your sprinkler nozzles with low output nozzles such as rotary nozzles. You can replace only the nozzle and don’t need to replace the whole sprinkler head.