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Irrigation Evaluation

Irrigation Evaluation. Dotty Woodson Extension Program Specialist Water Resources Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Dallas Research and Extension Center. Water Issue – Is there Enough?. Population and development will more than double by 2060 Most of this growth will go to urban areas

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Irrigation Evaluation

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  1. Irrigation Evaluation Dotty Woodson Extension Program Specialist Water Resources Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Dallas Research and Extension Center

  2. Water Issue – Is there Enough? • Population and development will more than double by 2060 • Most of this growth will go to urban areas • New water resources will cost billions of dollars • Conservation is the easiest and least expensive way to make our water resources sustainable

  3. Efficient Irrigation • Future landscapes must use water as efficiently as possible to be sustainable • Earth-Kind program will provide the guidance to achieve this goal

  4. Current Situation • Water usage increases 35 to 70% during the summer • An Earth-Kind landscape can reduce water uses from 30 to 60%

  5. Efficient Irrigation • Most homeowners over water • How Often • How Long • Time of Day • Seasonally

  6. Inefficient Irrigation Waste Water • According to EPA

  7. How Many GallonsHow Much MoneySaving Money is not the only Incentive ▪ Every time you apply one inch of water to your landscape, you apply 0.623 gallons of water per square foot • 2,000 square feet X 1 inch X 0.623 = 1246 gallons • Cost of water $190.00/CCF • CCF = 100 cubic feet =748.1 gallons • 1246 gallons/1.66 CCF X $1.90 = $3.15 • $3.15 X 36 = $ 113.40

  8. Potential Water Savings

  9. Efficient Irrigation • Applies water evenly through landscape • Applies water to potential root zone • Over watering • No runoff

  10. Even Distribution of Water

  11. Irrigation System Evaluation vs Irrigation System Audits

  12. Irrigation Evaluation Irrigation Audit More in-depth Software available Certified Irrigation Auditor Texas AgriLife School of Irrigation Irrigation Association Identify problems Distribution Precipitation rate Irrigation schedule • Identify problems • Distribution • Precipitation rate • Irrigation schedule

  13. Irrigation Evaluation10 to 30% water Saving • Most irrigation systems are not efficient • 30 to 60% efficient • Poorly maintained • Leaks, Misaligned heads, etc • Rain and Freeze senor • Adjust controller each season • Out-of-date controller • Conserve water • Save money

  14. Irrigation Evaluation Purpose: • Check Irrigation Efficiency • Create an Efficient Irrigation Schedule • Identify Problems with Irrigation System • Potential Water Savings • Potential Dollar Savings • Improve Water Distribution • Increase Quality of Landscape • Excellent Neighbor Relations • Most Accurate Method to Determine Run Times

  15. Irrigation Evaluation ▪Site Inspection with Homeowner • Run each Zone/Station • Flag each sprinkler • IdentifyProblems • Catch Can Test • Irrigation Scheduling • Time and Date • Days of Week • Start Time • Runtimeperzone

  16. Most Common Problems • Clogged nozzles • Misaligned heads • Misdirected heads • Mismatched heads • Leaking or Broken pipes/heads/valves • Too high or too low water pressure • Irrigation head too low • Grass too high • Tree, shrubs, groundcover grown to block irrigation • Bad Design • Poor coverage • Water bubbling, dripping or gushing all the time or just during run time • Runoff occurs before adequate water applied • Area along road, driveway or sidewalk stays too dry

  17. Clogged Nozzle

  18. Pressure too Low/High

  19. Runoff

  20. Overwatering

  21. Catch Can Test To identify coverage and runtime • Place 5 to 9 catch cans in each irrigation zone or station. • Run each zone for 5 to 10 minutes To determine run time • Some irrigation systems apply water faster than the ground will absorb 1 inch of the water so water run off. To this, you may need to run these stations several short times instead of one long time. • If the water level in each catch can varies greatly, go through the Irrigation Check to help identify problems • Test each zone. Water application and distribution can vary by zone.

  22. New Irrigation Technology20 to 30% water saving • Replace wasteful spray nozzles with water saving multi-stream nozzles Hunter Industries • MP Rotator • Toro • Precision • Rain Bird • Rotary Nozzle

  23. Smart Controllers20% water Savings ET Controller Moisture Sensor

  24. Convert to Drip Irrigation50% Water Savings

  25. Cycleand Soak20% Water Savings • Determine how long to run each zone (see ‘Catch Can Test’) • Water these areas in 2 or 3 short cycles or 4 cycles if on a slope instead of 1 long cycle. • Wait 20 to 30 minutes between cycles. • Most irrigation controllers have a way to set different start times. If you have trouble programing your controller, visit the irrigation controller company’s web site or contact their customer service for instructions. • Some newer controllers have a soak and cycle settings, so this may be a good time to upgrade your irrigation controller.

  26. Resources • http://irrigation.tamu.edu/ • http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ • http://texaset.tamu.edu/ • http://turf.tamu.edu/ • http://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/ • http://dallas.tamu.edu/

  27. For More Information Dotty Woodson Extension Program Specialist- Water Resources Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department Texas A&M AgriLife Extension 17360 Coit Road Dallas, Texas 75252 972-952-9688 D-woodson@tamu.edu

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