Irrigation Audits - Fact Based Irrigation Management

Properly done irrigation audits (in accordance with standards recommended by the Irrigation Association) collect a wide variety of data about an irrigation system. While all of this data provide insight on the status of an irrigation system, there are two measurements or calculations of especially high importance in an irrigation audit. Each of these calculations are determined at an irrigation valve or station level and are based on the amount of water collected in each catch can.

One of these measurements in an irrigation audit is distribution uniformity or DU. In simple terms, DU is just a value that indicates how evenly or unevenly water is applied to the landscape. Unevenly distributed water results in either wet spots or dry spots. However, this is not always visually obvious so the DU is the means by which this problem can be discovered.

The second of these irrigation audit measurements is precipitation rate. This value measures the amount of water applied per unit of time and it is usually calculated in inches per hour or centimeters per hour. As mentioned in an earlier article, it is crucial that the dimensions of the catch cans are the same. This will ensure that a good, solid precipitation rate can be determined. While a given station will have a few dozen catch cans, the precipitation rate calculated is essentially the average precipitation rate for the entire station.

The importance of the precipitation rate in an irrigation audit is in how the precipitation rate compares to the type of soil that water is absorbed into. How quickly water is absorbed into the ground depends on the type of soil. Some soils readily take in water while other types absorb water far more slowly.

Once the precipitation rate is calculated for a particular station and the type of soil is known for that same station, the irrigation audit will inform the interested parties how that particular station irrigation should be set up so that water is applied in a manner that allows it absorb into the soil. Not knowing this could result in a station running water too long for the soil to take in and water simply puddling or running off on the surface. That is wasted water.

Conversely, some soils require a longer sustained application of water in order to sufficiently penetrate the soil surface and reach the root zone of the grass or shrubs. Not doing so is another, but less obvious, way water is wasted. Water is applied but instead of running off it enters the soil but that is it. It does not reach the ultimate goal of the plant roots.

An irrigation audit tries to remove as much subjectivity and guesswork as possible in scheduling an irrigation system. Guessing is the common way that irrigation schedules are typically set up. However, a well done irrigation audit provides an opportunity for facts to dictate an irrigation schedule instead of vague rules of thumb.

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Save Water On A Landscape Combining Smart Controllers and Good Irrigation Management

Presenting a good, positive image is important to any business, and an attractive, healthy landscape definitely helps how the public views a commercial property. However, maintaining a quality landscape is not cheap since sufficient water needs to be applied by the irrigation system to keep the grass, shrubs and flowers healthy and vibrant. That's why installing smart irrigation controllers can help. These devices provide a great way to reduce irrigation water use, simplify landscape maintenance, and keep a landscape looking great.

Smart controllers lessen water use by collecting and applying information about site conditions (like rain, wind, slope, soil, plant type, and more), and applying the proper amount of water based on those factors to maintain healthy growing conditions. During hot weather plants need more water than during cooler weather. Smart controllers adjust the amount of water used based on these changing conditions. If enough rainfall takes place, rain sensors adjust by lessening the volume of water as needed. If the soil is of a type that absorbs water slowly or the landscape has steep slopes, smart controllers will use that information and run less water, but more frequently, to lessen water run-off.

A vital point to keep in mind with these types of irrigation controllers is how these devices are programmed. All of the variables (e.g., soil type) affect the final amount of time water will run. Adjustments to the initial programming will have to be done to get it right, which is a matter of good management. In fact multiple tweaks are needed since this whole process is as much of an art as it is a science. Simply put this human factor is the most important variable in the programming process.

In order to get the most out of a smart irrigation controller:

Inspect the Irrigation System: Smart controllers work best when the entire irrigation system is working well. Such an inspection will check for leaks, proper water pressure, malfunctioning hardware, and other similar issues that might affect the effectiveness of the complete irrigation system. Repairing problems like these will ensure the controller is able to provide the expected water savings.

Work with a Professional: These controllers are generally only available through irrigation or landscape contractors instead of retail outlets. The Irrigation Association (the umbrella organization for irrigation manufacturers, contractors and suppliers) has compiled a list of professionals who are certified to install "smart" irrigation controllers. To locate an Irrigation Association certified professional, or to confirm the status of any irrigation contractor in your area, please consult this list of Certified Professionals.

With the right combination of hardware, programming and hands on management, these types of irrigation controllers will provide long term, ongoing water savings.

Irrigation Management Systems (IMS) has saved water and money for its clients since the late 1980s, long before green was fashionable. Using the right combination of technology and management practices, IMS has long worked on keeping that delicate balance of saving water while keeping shrubs, turf and flowers sufficiently watered. Get to know us a little better at http://www.irrigationmanagementsystems.com/

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Irrigation Management Tools - What Is Better? Central Control Irrigation or Smart Controllers?

The weather in the Portland area continues to be more April than July. This past Sunday, July 17th, the slight chance of showers in the weather forecast turned into a multi-hour rain event that eventually totaled over half an inch of rainfall. Suffice it to say that very few irrigation controllers in the region adjusted accordingly for that night's watering. Instead they ran as if it had not rained at all because it would require an on-site visit by someone to actually reduce or shut off irrigation schedules. That rarely happens and on Sunday it does not happen at all. What about them new fangled smart controllers? You know the ones that receive some type of weather data that adjusts the irrigation run times without a personal visit? Well, they very well may have adjusted appropriately. However, how do you know?

Were there any problems with the communication of said weather data?Was the weather data source recording the weather properly or at all?Is the smart controller in the right mode to incorporate the weather data or was it accidentally set to run in stand alone?

The bottom line is that you don't know with these smart controllers for a couple of reasons. First, there is no communication option (outside of a spendy upgrade) that allows a user to contact the smart controller to check on its status. It still needs an on-site visit to do that. Second, there is no way to retrieve any kind of stored data within the controller to produce a report to review.

Now a rainfall event like this past Sunday certainly is a clearcut example of how a controller that is accessible via telephone, wi-fi, cellular, etc. is such a key part of effective irrigation management. Whether from a website or a central computer, an irrigation manager can check that the irrigation is shut down due to such a rainfall amount. That is tremendous peace of mind for the irrigation manager and a huge water savings for the property owner. This is no different for less dramatic weather changes like a week's worth of scorching hot weather followed by a weekend of mostly cloudy weather. Again, the irrigation manager can check that the weather data is recorded properly, transmitted properly and watered properly...without visiting the controller in person.

Smart controllers do none of this. Now smart controllers are a step in the right direction when compared to traditional controllers. However, they are woefully incomplete. There is no way to retrieve data, produce reports, check on communication links, make programming corrections or see if the irrigation controller actually has electrical power and is running irrigation schedules. In contrast, central control irrigation systems provide all of these management benefits. Whether it is via a website or software loaded onto a desktop or laptop computer, an irrigation manager can check on the controllers without a site visit. The technology is readily available for these central control irrigation systems. Why settle for a partial solution?

Irrigation Management Systems (IMS) has saved water and money for its clients since the late 1980s, long before green was fashionable. Using the right combination of technology and management practices, IMS has long worked on keeping that delicate balance of saving water while keeping shrubs, turf and flowers sufficiently watered. Get to know us a little better at http://www.irrigationmanagementsystems.com/save-water/ and you can also get some free tips to saving water.

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