Kevin A.

Rudat CID,CIC,CLIA
EPA Water Sense Partner
IANE President
IANE Education Chairman
www.irrigationassociationne.org
www.irrigation.org

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Smart Irrigation Components
“ How we can conserve water while still
having a healthy landscape”

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Smart Irrigation Components
Attendees
Homeowners / End Users
Irrigation Contractors
• IA Members
• IANE Members

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 Today’s Goals
• What is the purpose of a Professionally Installed Irrigation System?
• What are the Benefits?
• How do they work?
• What are they comprised of?
• What are the available irrigation components that can be installed to
conserve and reduce landscape water use while still providing the
water the landscape needs too survive and thrive?

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 “Best Management Practices” (BMP’s)
• A Best Management Practice (BMP) is a recommended practice. For
the irrigation industry, the practices are defined below as a guide to
reduce water usage and protect water quality. BMPs for irrigation
systems are economical, practical and sustainable approaches to
maintain healthy and functional landscapes without exceeding the
water requirements of the landscape.

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 What is the purpose of a Professionally Installed
Irrigation System?
• BMP 1 - Assure Overall Quality of the Irrigation System
• The purpose of an irrigation system is to provide supplemental water when
rainfall is not sufficient to maintain the turf and landscape for its intended
purpose. A quality irrigation system and its proper management are
required to distribute supplemental water in a way that adequately
maintain plant health while conserving and protecting water resources and
the environment. Assuring the overall quality of the system requires
attention to system design, installation, maintenance and management, in
particular: • The irrigation system shall be designed to be efficient and to
uniformly distribute the water. • The irrigation system shall be installed
according to the industry design specifications. • The irrigation system shall
be regularly maintained to preserve the integrity of the design and to
sustain efficient operation. • The irrigation schedule shall be managed to
maintain a healthy and functional landscape with the minimum required
amount of water.
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 “Best Management Practices” (BMP’s)
• BMP 2 - Design the Irrigation System for the Efficient and Uniform
Distribution of Water .
• The irrigation system shall be designed to be efficient and to
uniformly distribute the water. Specific criteria that shall be
considered in the design include soil type, slope, root depth, plant
materials, microclimates, weather conditions and water source (e.g.,
quantity, quality and pressure). To conserve and protect water
resources, the design shall incorporate the appropriate equipment
components that meet state and local codes and site requirements.

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 “Best Management Practices” (BMP’s)
• BMP 3 - Install the Irrigation System to Meet the Design Criteria
• The irrigation system shall be installed according to the design
specifications. To conserve and protect water resources, the installed
components shall meet the design specifications, manufacturer’s
specifications, and state and local code requirements. The installation
shall result in an efficient and uniform distribution of the water. The
irrigation contractor or installer shall be licensed (and certified where
applicable) and insured.

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 “Best Management Practices” (BMP’s)
• BMP 4 - Maintain the Irrigation System for Optimum Performance
• The irrigation system shall be regularly serviced to maintain the
performance of the system as designed. To conserve and protect
water resources and the environment, the serviced components shall
meet the design specifications, manufacturer’s specifications, and
state and local code requirements. The maintenance shall result in
sustaining an efficient and uniform distribution of the water. The
maintenance contractor, owner, manager, or irrigation contractor
shall be licensed and/or certified (where applicable) and insured.

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 “Best Management Practices” (BMP’s)
• BMP 5 - Manage the Irrigation System to Respond to the Changing
Requirement for Water in the Landscape
• To conserve and protect water resources and the environment, the
irrigation schedule shall be changed as required to provide
supplemental water to maintain a functional and healthy turf and
landscape with the minimum required amount of water.

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 “Best Management Practices” (BMP’s)
• The BMPs defined above are based on the Irrigation Association’s Turf
and Landscape Irrigation Best Management Practices of December
2010
http://www.irrigation.org/uploadedFiles/Resources/BMP_Revised_12
-2010.pdf

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 What are the Benefits?

• The purpose of an irrigation system is to provide supplemental water

when rainfall is not sufficient to maintain the turf and landscape for
its intended purpose. A quality irrigation system and its proper
management are required to distribute supplemental water in a way
that adequately maintain plant health while conserving and
protecting water resources and the environment.
• Efficient Application of water
• Smart controllers only apply what the landscape needs, thereby
reducing water waste

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Average Household Water Use

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 GUIDELINES FOR EFFICIENT OPERATION OF
AUTOMATIC UNDERGROUND IRRIGATION SYSTEMS
• The programming and operation of your automatic underground irrigation system will be dictated by a
variety of factors. Your automatic controller should have all the required features to allow you to fine tune
your system’s performance for maximum efficiency. The following factors should be taken into consideration
when programming your timers / controllers:
• 1. Time of year as well as past, current and future weather conditions. Conservation bylaws set by the town
and current stages of watering bans.
• 2. Type of landscape material being watered. Lawns, shrubs, flowers and trees all have different needs.
• 3. Type of equipment i.e., rotary head, spray (mist) head or drip tubing. All of these have different
application rates and should be timed differently.
• 4. The profile of your landscape also should be considered. Sun exposure, hills and slopes, low areas as well
as soil types (loam, clay, sand) all need to be accounted for when making your programming decisions. In dry
conditions, lawns and flowers which have shallow root systems may need to be watered more frequently
due to sandy soil conditions than trees and shrubs which have deeper root systems. Generally, you would
water lawns and flowers for less time more often and trees and shrubs for longer times less frequently.
• 5. Your controller should be capable of independent timing and scheduling of each zone in your system. Each
zone should represent a specific part of your landscape i.e., front lawn, back lawn, back bed, etc. Each zone
should be programmed in accordance with the aforementioned criteria. 14
 What are they comprised of?
• Water Source
• Water Meter
• Backflow Device
• Electric Zone Valves
• Controllers (Clocks)
• Sensors
• Rain/Freeze
• Soil Moisture
• Flow
• Rotors / Sprays
• Drip Tubing

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How do they work?

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 Basic Ways to Reduce Water Waste
• Proper Irrigation System Design & Installation
• Hydrozones
• Sunny vs. Shady
• Flat vs. slope
• Do NOT combine different sprinkler types (Sprays vs. Rotors vs. Drip)
• Different Precipitation Rates

• Proper Sprinkler Adjustments

• Proper Controller Scheduling
• Time of Day
• Duration of Zone Run Times

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 “Smart” Irrigation Controllers
• Definition of Smart Controller Smart controllers estimate or measure depletion of available plant
soil moisture in order to operate an irrigation system, replenishing water as needed while
minimizing excess water use. A properly programmed smart controller requires initial site specific
set-up and will make irrigation schedule adjustments, including run times and required cycles,
throughout the irrigation season without human intervention.
• Testing of Smart Controllers IA test performance reports for smart controllers are a record of the
water applied by a properly installed and programmed smart controller without human
intervention for a testing period that receives a minimum ET of 2.5 inches and a minimum rainfall
of 0.4 inches.
• Use of Smart Controllers For best results when using a smart controller, incorporate proper
hydraulic design and equipment layout in the irrigation system installation. Initial monitoring of
the site is necessary to confirm the accuracy of the irrigation schedule. Maintenance issues and
site modifications may require irrigation system repair or recalibration of the smart controller
settings to optimize system performance.

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IA 8/06/2007
 Water Saving Irrigation Components
• Smart Controllers (Clocks)
• Sensors
• Rain/Freeze
• Soil Moisture
• Flow
• Rotors
• Sprays
• Drip Tubing

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 Smart Controllers (Clocks)
• Wi Fi Controllers
• Cloud Based Controllers

• Hunter Hydrawise PHC-1200

• RainBird ESP-TM2
• RainBird ESPSMTe
• RainBird ESPMe
• TORO “EVOLUTION”
• Weathermatic “Smartline”
• RACHIO

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Hunter Hydrawise Wi Fi Controller

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Rain Bird Wi Fi Controllers

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TORO Wi Fi Controller

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 Weathermatic “Smartline” Smart Controller

The “Basic” mode programs exactly like the conventional

controllers used by most manufacturers. There’s no need
to learn a new method. The “Smart” mode is where the
power lies. Combined with our SLW Series Weather
Stations, SmartLine becomes an ET-Based water-saving
controller that adjusts watering times 365 days a year.

ET Watering adjusts the duration, frequency, and soak time by

several factors. Weather Data combined with geographical
location, sprinkler type, plant type, soil type, and a fine tuning
option, enables your SmartLine controller to make precise
watering decisions.

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RACHIO Wi Fi Controller

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 Sensors
• Rain / Freeze / Soil Moisture
• “Miniclik”
• Wireless
• Hunter
• Rain Bird
• Irritrol
• Baseline

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 “Smart” Sensors
• Hunter “Solar Sync”

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 Rotors
• RainBirdPLPCPRS (www.rainbird.com)
• RB Rotator Nozzles (www.hunterindustries.com)
• Hunter PGP
• MP Rotators
• Irrigreen (www.irrigreen.com)

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 Sprays Heavy Misting / Atomization
• Rain Bird 1804SAMPRS
• Seal-A-Matic Check Valve
• Pressure Reducing Spray
• Hunter Pros04CV

No Misting / No Atomization w/PRS Spray Body 30

 Drip Irrigation
• Hunter PLD-06-12

• Rain Bird XFCV-06-12

• Netafim TLCV-06-12

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 Professionally Installed Drip Irrigation

*Drip Tubing is “Scratched in” *Lateral spacing is consistent (~16”)

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Professionally Installed Drip Irrigation

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Not So Professionally Installed Drip
Irrigation

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 Drip Irrigation
• Check valves keep the line charged up to 5' and prevent low
point drainage
• Pressure compensating emitters
• Flow rates of 0.4, 0.6, 1.0 GPH
• Emitter spacing at 12", 18", 24"
• Anti-siphon prevents debris from entering emitters when used
subsurface
• Available without emitters (blank)

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 Irrigreen Controller
• www.irrigreen.com

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 Ashland,MA Irrigation System Registration
• Dear Ashland Resident: Enclosed is the Registration/Certification form for existing inground
irrigation systems connected to the municipal water system. Please return the completed form to
the Ashland Water Department. The following steps are required to bring your irrigation system
into compliance:
• 1. All irrigation systems must be equipped with programmable timers and precipitation
monitoring devices (for e.g. a rain gauge).
• 2. Contact your irrigation company to set up the rain sensor/programmable timer inspection. The
Inspector must complete the form, sign, date and return original to the Ashland Water
Department within one week of testing.
• 3. The Plumbing Department will have the permit number information. (508-881-0100 ext.7123)
• 4. All testing and certifications must be completed annually. If you have any questions, please
contact the Ashland Water Department: 508-532-7940 or visit our website for the Town by-law:
http://ecode360.com/12611032?highlight=270

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 Irrigation System Certification Form
• IRRIGATION SYSTEM – PRECIPITATION MONITOR AND PROGRAMMABLE TIMER CERTIFICATION
FORM.
• Test Date:
• Pass Fail Retest Date:
• Pass Fail Permit#/Registration# / Cross Connection Control #:_______________________
• Test Address: ______________________________________________________
• Irrigation Company:_________________________________________________ (PLEASE PRINT)
Irrigation Company Email and Phone #:__________________________________
• Inspector Name:_____________________________________________________ (PLEASE PRINT)
• Inspector’s Signature:______________________________Date:______________

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 Rain Sensor Law
• Mass General Law
• Part I
• Title II
• Chapter 21

• Section 67: System interruption devices required for newly installed

or renovated irrigation systems to override and suspend programmed
operation of irrigation system during periods of sufficient moisture;
regulations; inapplicable to systems operating on agricultural lands

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 Bill S.437…Irrigation Contractor License
4/15/2015 Senate Referred to the committee
on Environment, Natural Resources
and Agriculture

4/15/2015 House House concurred

10/1/2015 Joint Hearing scheduled for 10/06/2015

from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in DCR
Quabbin Bluemeadow Conference
Center

11/25/2015 Senate Bill reported favorably by committee

and referred to the committee
on Senate Ways and Means

1/3/2017 Senate No further action taken 40

 Local Manufacture Reps
• Hunter Industries…Ernie Drougas 781-670-6427
• Netafim USA…Art Elmers 201-232-4961
• Rain Bird…Keith Zelazny 630-957-7695
• TORO/Irritrol…Joe Keteltas 508-328-2329
• Weathermatic…Chris Pine 508-274-0636
ernie.Drougas@hunterindustries.com
aelmers@netafimusa.com
kzelazny@rainbird.com
joe.keteltas@toro.com
chris@cpineassociates.com
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Irrigation Association

www.irrigation.org 42
Irrigation Association of New England

www.irrigationassociationne.org 43
Kevin A. Rudat CID,CIC,CLIA
EPA Water Sense Partner
kevin@krudatassociates.com
508-277-8852 cell

www.irrigation.org
www.irrigationassociationne.org
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Questions

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