Whether it is sunny and dry one day or rainy and humid the next, weather is often unpredictable. However, unreliable forecasts do not mean your irrigation system should suffer. The latest technologies have allowed irrigation systems to work in harmony each day with a variety of weather conditions.
Several weather technologies are particularly geared towards optimizing water use in irrigation, something that would not only reduce your water waste, but also save you money on your water bill. Water In Motion implements several weather technology products in order to help our clients save as much water and money as possible.
To list a few, here is a quick list of the most common weather technologies our company utilizes.
Rain Sensors
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see lawn sprinklers running on a rainy day. Not only does this waste money and water, but it is also causing the most common cause of plant stress and death; over-watering. Over-watering is a form of inefficient irrigation, which is where rain sensors come in to play.
Rain sensors are small devises wired into automatic irrigation systems and override the watering cycle when rainfall is adequate. Rain sensors have been becoming the “norm” over the past few years, in fact, Minnesota law requires all irrigation systems installed after July 1st, 2003, to have rain sensors.
SMART (ET) Controllers
Another example of a weather technology-based product are SMART (ET) controllers. ET stands for “evapotranspiration” which tells us how much water evaporation is lost from soil and how much water transpiration is released from your plants.
Source : palmdalewater.org
Think of SMART (ET) controllers as “the brains” which control your daily irrigation system operations. By having your controller connected to data from a local weather station, the unit is able to adjust both watering times and frequency based on the daily data feed.
Moisture Sensors
Similar to Rain Sensors, it is also a great idea to install Moisture Sensors in order to reduce your water waste. These sensors are wired to communicate with your system controller and provide daily data on both soil and root moisture in order to manage watering activity.
 Source: University of Florida IFAS Extension |
 |
Water In Motion has been recommending various weather technologies for years. Our experienced team will make sure your landscape is a healthy place where plants prosper while also saving you money on your water bill. Feel free to contact us for more information.
