The Port Washington Water District is testing a sprinkler control technology to reduce the water wasted during lawn irrigation.
District officials said by testing the second-generation Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller, which relies on weather forecasts, they hope to reduce water use by 15 percent.
“We are thrilled to have this technology installed at our district headquarters to test what level of water conservation can be gained this summer,” said David Brackett, chairman of the Port Washington Water District Board of Commissioners. “Roughly 50 percent of all water used for lawn irrigation is wasted through evaporation, wind and runoff. Having a smart controller that can significantly reduce the amount of wasted water is well worth experimenting with.”
Operated through a smartphone, tablet or laptop, the smart controller manages the entire irrigation process of a home, officials said.
By tying into the district’s Wi-Fi network, the controller connects to local weather stations and various sensors throughout the irrigation system monitoring precipitation, soil temperatures and the rate of water loss from the soil. Each zone in the irrigation system can be programmed to specify the grass type, number of shrubs and plants, and shade or sun levels to prevent oversaturation and runoff.
“Standard clock sprinkler timers are often set at the beginning of the season and forgotten about until the systems are shut off in the winter,” Paul Granger, superintendent of the Port Washington Water District, said. “Smart controllers are designed to remove all of the human error involved in managing a home’s irrigation system; if the technology works as advertised, you will never see a sprinkler working during a rainstorm.”
The district will test this technology by installing a smart controller meter at its administrative headquarters, at 38 Sandy Hollow Road in Port Washington.
The test began on May 17 and will last through September.
Officials said results will be compared to water usage records from previous years.
Depending on the results of the pilot and reliability of the equipment, the district will consider whether or not to revise its current irrigation system permit program to require the use of controllers that have a WaterSense label.
According to its website, WaterSense is a partnership program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that seeks to protect the future of the nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products.
