Coping with the California Drought: Smart Watering Systems!

by Pacific Vista Landscape Services

California's drought conditions are worsening, and with the water use restrictions imposed by the state, homeowners and commercial property owners struggle with how to keep their plants and lawns alive. Well, it's definitely time to ditch the lawn (see: Coping with the California Drought: Ditching the Lawn!) Even drought tolerant landscaping needs some water until roots are established and deep enough to be 'tolerant', at which point they will require even less water, but why change your landscape and then have the same sprinkler system that pumps out too much water? Thankfully, there are a group of new products that provide a “smart” system that is designed to increase efficiency and reduce irrigation waste.

Smart Wifi Enabled Irrigation Controller

These innovative, high-tech controllers can assess the conditions of the landscaping in real time, and accordingly deliver the right amount of water. These systems include soil sensors to determine the amount of moisture in the soil and special sprinkler heads to limit runoff. The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that replacing the old clock timers with these smart controllers can save more than 8,000 gallons of water per year in the average home. 

The smart wifi enabled irrigation controller has “weather intelligence” which eliminates the need to schedule watering times. Weather and seasonal adjustments are made and watering is done automatically based on this data. The unit also reports on water use and calculates savings. This means that your garden can be watered automatically with the exact amount of water needed based on local forecast from weather stations and satellites. You can also assign zones in your yard and control each zone based on watering needs and plant types. The systems can help eliminate runoff by coordinating watering times with times when no watering is done. This type of scheduling helps to increase the ability of the soil to absorb the water.

Some of the smart controller units can operate on either a power line or a Wi-Fi network and can be easily controlled from anywhere with an Android or iOS smart phone or tablet. Thus, these smart sprinkler controllers maintain watering schedules while using as little water as possible to keep landscapes looking their best. If the product you choose is EPA WaterSense certified, the installation of one of these may qualify the owner to receive rebates from the local water municipalities. To see a list of the EPA approved products, go to www.epa.gov/watersense, or www.socalwatersmart.com.

At Pacific Vista Landscape Services, we are experts with the latest smart irrigation systems and can handle any size property. Our clients include everything from individual residential properties, HOA communities, small and large apartment complexes, and large commercial properties including universities and hospitals. Trust us with all your landscaping needs and let us help you save water and money!