Based
on a survey of state water departments, the U.S. General Accounting
Office concluded that 36 states will have “water shortages in average
rainfall years by 2010.”
Meeting future water demand requires that we act immediately to
conserve 25% of our current water supply,
according to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the nation’s largest water provider.
According
to WeatherTRAK, who draws on years of experience in designing and
implementing landscape conservation programs, some agencies face
political barriers or consumer resistance to saving water. Past
conservation programs have produced largely disappointing results,
causing enthusiasm to dwindle.
SUCCESS STORY: 25% Savings
The
widespread implementation of low-flow plumbing devices has saved
significant amounts of water in the past decade. In Los Angeles,
California, the powerful combination of a federal code requiring
low-flow plumbing devices in new developments and rebates for
installing these devices in homes and commercial sites has reduced
water demand by twenty-five percent.
New Conservation Efforts Transitioning from the Indoors to the Outdoors
Water
agencies must ensure that their water infrastructure can satisfy peak
demand and emergency flow requirements. Peak usage is in the hottest
weather period when demand for landscape water is greatest.
Analysis
has shown that agency demand curve peaks have been pushed to
artificially high levels because landscapes need significantly less
water than is typically applied to them.
If landscape water use
were efficient, the water infrastructure and supply would accommodate
many more customers without costly upgrades. Moreover, customers would
pay less for water. The result is a win-win for elected water
officials: a more reliable water supply and satisfied customers.
SUCCESS STORY: 45% Savings
Examining
current agency programs and past studies data, we see that it is likely
that as much as 50% of current landscape water could be saved. For
example, in Irvine, California, landscape water conservation programs
have reduced commercial irrigation by 45%.
The advantages to
landscape water conservation are far-reaching. Not only is the need for
expensive infrastructure upgrades reduced, but there are also
measurable environmental benefits. Efficient landscape water use yields
significant dividends by reducing the tremendous costs incurred in
pumping and transporting water.
It is estimated that it requires
10 TO 30% of California’s total energy supply to move water from its
source to the regions in which it is consumed (California Urban Water
Conservation Council, 2001).
Landscape water runoff contains
pollutants from fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides that are now
being measured in our lakes, streams, bays, and oceans. Metropolitan
Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) conducted a peer-reviewed study
that documented the relationship between landscape water waste and
non-point source water pollution.
Consumer support can be
quickly won through significant cost savings in individual water bills
and overall water delivery system costs.
Landscape water efficiency is likely to be a water provider’s cheapest supply of new water.
Weather Based Irrigation Controllers can Save 35% of Landscape Water Use
Based
on results of a California pilot program that were extrapolated across
a larger customer base, one water district found that the installation
of
weather-based irrigation controllers would save 35% of water currently applied to landscapes in the service area.
The
water district determined that installing the controllers would cost
29% less than securing more water through infrastructure expansion and
water purchases.
Indoor water savings have been realized in most
communities. But the American Water Works Association (AWWA) reports
that 58% of non-agricultural water is applied to residential and
commercial landscapes, whereas toilets use just 11%.
Low-flow
toilets save water automatically with every flush, but they were a
tough sell to many consumers. By contrast, convincing consumers to
adopt effective outdoor conservation appliances has been easier because
people enjoy spending time in their gardens.
80% of American households participate in some form of gardening
for enjoyment, environmental benefit, or enhanced property value
(National Gardening Association survey, 2003).
Water district staff reports that water use is actually
higher today in new homes than in older homes with comparable lot and structure sizes. This is despite:
1) increased agency conservation programs,
2) mandated installation of low-flow plumbing devices into all homes built since 1992, and
3) use of low water need plants suggested by state legislation (AB 325).
Efficient
indoor water use is considered a widespread practice in the area, which
points to increased landscape water use, despite conservation measures.
Traditional
methods for reducing landscape water demand have proven to be difficult
to enforce and monitor, expensive for long-term use, politically
unpopular, and, in some cases, actually counter-productive. In light of
study results about typical landscape watering behavior, these
lackluster results are not surprising.
Study after study has shown that nearly everyone, from novices to experts, over-waters.
Why?
Scheduling irrigation requires complex scientific equations that must
be calculated daily as local weather changes. The fact is that
accurately setting and adjusting irrigation schedules is difficult and
time-consuming. Add to that, many homeowners mistakenly believe that
the more water applied, the healthier the landscape. It’s time to stop
deluding ourselves about the willingness and ability of homeowners and
professionals to calculate efficient irrigation scheduling. Water
providers are charting a new course for achieving their goals.
Introducing Weather-based Irrigation Management
In
1998, the first weather-based controller was tested for its ability to
accurately schedule and adjust irrigation by MWD and the Irvine Ranch
Water District (IRWD). Existing residential controllers were removed
and replaced with WeatherTRAK-enabled controllers in forty homes. New
levels of water usage were compared against historical water usage for
the same households.
Following are the results of this study:
- Landscape water use in average water use households was reduced by sixteen percent to twenty-five percent.
- Plant health and appearance improved.
- Water bills were reduced.
- Customer satisfaction was measured at ninety-seven percent.
Homeowners
reported that their plants looked as good as or better than they did
prior to WeatherTRAK installation, their water bills were lower, and
that they did not have to do anything. Participants appreciated the
convenience offered by the WeatherTRAK-enabled controller, which fully
automates irrigation. This study, which opened the eyes of agency
officials, marked the first time a controller was shown to maximize
conservation by accurately irrigating in accordance with plants’ varied
needs and daily, local weather conditions.
A broad range of
studies with varied settings and objectives has proven the benefits of
weather-based irrigation management. WeatherTRAK-enabled controllers,
now available from The Toro Company, Irritrol Systems, and HydroPoint
Data Systems, have been tested more than all other products combined.
One
of many programs worthy of note is the California EPA-funded study of
the use of WeatherTRAK-enabled controllers in micro-watershed areas.
Study methodology tested the controllers in neighborhoods of
three-to-four-hundred homes with street landscapes as well as homeowner
association common areas and parks.
The goal was to
measure the ability of weather-based irrigation controllers to reduce
urban runoff and non-point source water pollution through precise
calculation of water applications.
The study found that:
RUNOFF in neighborhoods with WeatherTRAK-enabled controllers was reduced by 71%, when compared to control neighborhoods.
Mass loading of pollutants into the waterway was correspondingly reduced by 71%.
These
impressive results led directly to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
providing $1.5 million in rebate funds for Orange County-based water
agencies to distribute to consumers who install approved smart
controllers.
The ability to broadcast weather-based data (local
evapotranspiration, or ET, values) and automate plant-specific
irrigation scheduling provides additional benefits, including:
Peaking Management Service: daily, wireless transmission of ET data for maximum water use efficiency.
Rain/Winter
Shut-off Service: automated irrigation suspension during rain and the
winter season, particularly useful in colder climates.
Drought
Management Service: broadcasting during emergency drought conditions,
is a powerful tool for enforcing water conservation.
To
read the full explanation of adopting and implementing a new water
conservation program for your community, contact WeatherTRAK for their
white paper by Tom Ash, entitled, "How to Implement a Cost-effective
Landscape Water Efficiency Program".
WeatherTRAK
www.weathertrak.com
Compared to a patch of lawn, a rain garden allows about 30% more water to soak into the ground!