September, 2007
SMART IRRIGATION
Save Water, Save Money, Save Time
By Bob Poole
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Fact
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Here are some tips that will help you and your company save water and money through the use of intelligent irrigation practices.
- Ensure your irrigation system is installed correctly and according to manufacturer’s specifications. Poor installation practices are some of the greatest challenges facing water conservation within the irrigation industry.
- Ensure during installation that your irrigation system follows the irrigation design drawings and specifications according to “Best Management Practices.”
- Ensure irrigation run times are set correctly. Improper scheduling is a leading cause of water waste, nutrient leaching and erosion.
- For example, spray head sprinklers water much faster than the intake rate of the soil. Watering times of more than 6-8 minutes in one application often result in run off and waste.
- Cycle and soak is crucial to efficient water application for spray head sprinklers. The best irrigation system is only efficient if the irrigation schedule is correct. The key is to apply the right amount of water at the right time.
- Irrigation maintenance is critical. Misaligned and tilted sprinklers are a leading cause of inefficiency.
- Ensure the correct irrigation product is installed. A pressure compensating drip line, for instance, is far more efficient at deep root watering planter beds than traditional spray head sprinklers.
- Many new products improve water application efficiency. There are many new Smart technologies that use the weather to control your watering. These technologies may be slightly more expensive upon installation, but the return on investment is very short when water cost savings are factored in.
- You can find more information on irrigation by visiting the Irrigation Association website at www.irrigation.org
