No Time to Check the Weather? Let Your Irrigation Controller Do It for You
Castaic Lake Water Agency has launched an initiative to help residential landscape contractors and homeowners save water by using weather-based irrigation controllers (WBICs).
Part of a water use efficiency program developed by CLWA and the local water purveyors, the initiative also includes instruction on how irrigation systems can be designed to maximize water use efficiency.
“We would like to partner with you and your gardener to provide you the right tools. Specifically, we would like to provide your gardener with a free weather based irrigation controller that he will install for you,” said CLWA Water Resources Manager Dirk Marks. “Sometimes getting the most out of your irrigation takes more than just a desire to use water efficiently. It takes the right tools for the job, as well as the know-how to make sure your irrigation system achieves maximum efficiency.”
The program, administered for CLWA by Specialized Landscape Management Services, Inc. (SLM), offers equipment and instruction to help landscape contractors and homeowners.
Highlights include:
• Training: SLM will conduct training classes for landscape contractors and homeowners to take the mystery out of water-efficient landscaping. They will cover topics such as hydro-zoning (grouping plants together that have similar water requirements) and high distribution uniformity (the most even and efficient distribution of water).
• WBICs: Program participants will be provided with WBICs, also called “smart controllers.” These state-of-the-art controllers automatically reduce watering times when weather is cooler and less water is needed. Since a WBIC continuously adjusts watering, it’s significantly more efficient than a controller that needs to be manually set. Participants will receive instruction on proper installation and use of WBICs.
• Follow-Up: SLM will follow up to inspect installation of WBICs and ensure they are operating properly. (Since the smart controller technology is relatively new, WBICs aren’t broadly available to consumers. Their installation and setup can be more complicated than that of a traditional controller.)
Over the next five years, approximately 4,500 WBICs are expected to be installed throughout the Santa Clarita Valley, and water savings, if the program continued for the next 20 years, is estimated to be over 10,000 acre-feet.
If you are interested in participating in the program, you are encouraged to ask your gardener or landscaper to contact Rene Emeterio of SLM at 877-242-2262.