Innovations in irrigation help homeowners to reduce water usage

Under a past 'Drought Alert,' San Diego County residents had to adhere to usage restrictions associated with that status by irrigating their landscape before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m., eliminating water waste from inefficient irrigation from runoff or overspray, not washing down paved surfaces and more.

Those regulations had most home and business owners taking a hard look at their watering habits.

Kyle Hawkins, commercial/wholesale sales manager for Grangetto's Farm & Garden Supply, said the least expensive thing residents can do to reduce their water usage on their landscape is to "check (do an audit of) their existing irrigation system. Make sure the irrigation clock is programmed for the current season; check for leaky valves, irrigation lines and sprinklers; adjust irrigation heads; check for clogged heads; prune back plant material blocking sprinklers and check the pressure in the existing irrigation system."

"In general, most people overwater because they never change their irrigation controller run times from summer to winter," Hawkins said.

Remembering to change an irrigation controller's schedule is easy to forget with the busy lives many people lead, hence the movement to a "smarter" product that knows how to do that by itself and doesn't trouble the consumer with conventional timers and clocks.

One of those smart products is the SmartLine controller, manufactured by Weathermatic. With state-of-the-art water management technology, the SmartLine controller takes key weather data and combines it with basic site and sprinkler system information. Excessive watering becomes a thing of the past.

"It eliminates human error," Hawkins said.

An irrigation control system like SmartLine takes the guesswork out of programming an irrigation clock.

It uses factors including temperature, rain, humidity, type of sprinkler, type of soil, plant type and geographical region to come up with a formula each day to adjust the clock's run times.

Combine that with the latest in sprinkler technology – for example, the Hunter MP Rotator. The new rotators are a far cry from old spray heads when it comes to effective watering.

Spray heads can be likened to an old-fashioned showerhead; a portion of the water hits the target, and a significant amount goes to waste. Rotators provide a rotating system with multiple streams of water that achieves better absorbency. By adjusting the radius of the spray, wastewater is practically eliminated.

With 25 years of experience in the landscape industry, Bob Butler, owner of Butler Landscape in Fallbrook, said he is impressed with the efficiency of the rotators.

"You can adjust the radius and the angle of throw and because of the single streams... (the water) doesn't drift," Butler said. "These products use about half the water as a spray head."

"The biggest difference between the (old) spray heads and the innovative rotators is the precipitation rate (how much water is distributed in an hour period), similar to a rainfall measurement," Hawkins said. "Traditional spray heads put out 2 inches per hour, which is nearly impossible for our soil to absorb. The rotators put out 0.40 inches an hour, thus allowing the water to soak in and not run off."

Essentially, soft streams of water directed to turf or plant material only, with no excessive overspray, will save money while doing an exceptional job of watering the premises.

"Rotators cover a good-sized area," Butler said. "They are also perfect for watering newly seeded areas because they put down water in a nice, soft way."

Butler said many of his regular customers have already converted their irrigation systems to the new style.

"I've been doing a lot of revamps lately," he said. "In the old days, people just slammed in systems without a lot of thought and that was that."

For those having a difficult time trying to keep their head above water in the current economy, making the transition to "smarter" irrigation doesn't mean it has to all happen at once. It can be done a little at a time to ease the burden on the pocketbook.

"People can (improve their irrigation system) in stages," Hawkins said. "The first thing to do is an irrigation audit. Second, check the water pressures and adjust it to manufacturer's specifications. Third, install 'smart' controllers. Last, install rotary nozzles and convert areas to drip irrigation."

Because controllers like SmartLine are expandable, a consumer can begin by setting up one area of the yard and then adding other areas to the system in stages as it fits their budget.

And the final cost won't necessarily be what the customer sees on the price stickers in the store. There are plenty of rebates out there to take advantage of.

"All a person has to do is go onto http://www.grangettos.com, and we have all the links to rebates for homeowners and commercial applications," Hawkins said.

To speak with an expert regarding the irrigation products discussed in this article, visit Grangetto's Farm & Garden Supply at 530 E. Alvarado Street in Fallbrook or call 760-728-6127.