Smart Controllers

Wasted water. Without a doubt, it’s a huge drain on our natural resources as well as our pocketbooks. It’s a cost that California’s citizens will no longer tolerate. And yet,it’s a problem that municipalities, private property owners and managers can easily solve.

A recent Western US study concluded that our traditional system of urban irrigation maintainance is broken. Government agencies and private companies rarely have the manpower to properly adjust irrigation for constantly changing rainfall, temperature and humidity conditions. We just can’t afford all the people and time it would take: it’s not in the budget. But neither is the skyrocketing cost of water.

Beyond the waste of water, problems of premature plant death, waterlogged and unstable slopes, pests, disease, runoff, (and a host of others) plague improperly irrigated landscapes.

Is there really any excuse for watering acres of city parks during rainfall? Will any passing resident fail to notice this egregious waste of taxpayer money?

“Automatic” sprinklers are anything but automatic. They offer a low initial cost, which is often swallowed up in the first year of operation. It’s like buying a poorly built car, and then giving all your savings to the auto mechanic.

Today’s gold standard for irrigation control is theSmart Controller. It will frequently pay for itself within its first year of operation. That’s a safe bet, especially here in Southern California. This technology lets you turn down the water, way below the textbook settings.

How do Smart Contollers work?

1.      A local weather station monitors and collects information about the temperature, wind speed, humidity, rain fall, solar radiation, and more. This weather information is sent to your Smart Controller.

2.    You input the information about the plant type, soil type, slope percentage, and sun exposure.

3.    The Smart Controller puts this information together and calculates the exact amount of water your landscape needs. 

The Smart Controller will give your landscape as much water as needed in order stay green and healthy. For example, if it just rained yesterday, it knows not to water today. Or if it’s been cool and overcast all week, it will not water until needed. By using a Smart Controller it helps prevent water waste that occurs from over watering. Using less water leaves you with a lower water bill and the feeling that you are doing something good for the environment.

Swan not only can provide you with a Smart Controller but also can install it for you and help you learn how to manage it.  If you are interested in using one of these Smart Controllers for your properties, please contact us and we will set up an appointment with you free of charge.