Last year, Samuel Lemieux (Irrigation Lemieux) approached us with the idea of installing a weather based irrigation system….We proceeded with the installation and were extremely impressed with the results. By the end of the (2010) season, we only watered the grass 27 times instead of the usual 55 times….We are now looking at installing the system at other buildings.
‘SMART’ Weather Based Irrigation Controllers
Unlike traditional irrigation controllers which are really just timers, ‘smart’ weather-based controllers use weather information to manage an irrigation system.
‘Smart’ controllers adjust your irrigation schedule as the weather and season changes. The result:
- Significant water savings, as much as 25-60%.
- Healthier landscapes, with just the right amount of water delivered when needed
- Reduction in urban runoff of pesticides and fertilizers
- No more irrigating in the rain
Golf courses, parks and athletic departments have used climate or weather-based irrigation systems for more than 20 years. And now, this scheduling technology is available for residential and commercial landscapes through ‘smart’ controllers. In Canada there are predominantly six different ‘smart’ weather based controllers in use:
