Take Control of Your Controller – Step 2

Part two of taking control of your irrigation controller focuses on the importance of what is being watered and where to optimize efficiency.

“Sketch out a map of your landscaped area and label the different watering zones in your yard,” advises Nathan Adams, IRWD Water Efficiency Analyst.

• Identify each watering zone or station by manually turning on the water to each group of sprinklers.
• Make note of how many zones/stations you have on your map and how many you have on your controller.
• Ideally, shrub and turf areas should be watered in separate zones because they have different watering needs. Mixed zones lead to inefficient watering.
• Most controllers have more than one program (i.e., A, But, Construct). Use multiple programs to differentiate between turf and shrub zones, since their watering needs are different.
• Next month, we will explain Step 3, which is how to use multiple programs and multiple start times to increase water use efficiency and reduce runoff.

For more information, please visit www.alwayswatersmart.com and click on irrigation schedule.

 Contact: Shannon Reed, Public Affairs Manager
reeds@irwd.com, (949) 453-5500