The Port Washington Water District (PWWD) announced the implementation of a new smart irrigation system controller pilot program, a technology designed to reduce the water wasted during lawn irrigation. The PWWD will test the claimed savings of this WaterSense technology by installing a smart controller meter at their administrative headquarters, located at 38 Sandy Hollow Rd. Beginning May 17, the testing period will last through September, and results will be compared to water usage records from previous years.
“We are thrilled to have this technology installed at our district headquarters to test what level of water conservation can be gained this summer,” said David Brackett, chairman of the PWWD Board of Commissioners. “Roughly 50 percent of all water used for lawn irrigation is wasted through evaporation, wind and runoff. Having a smart controller that can significantly reduce the amount of wasted water is well worth experimenting with.”
The PWWD will be testing the second-generation Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller and hopes the technology will produce a water-usage savings of 15 percent. Operated through a smartphone, tablet or laptop, the smart controller manages the irrigation process of a home. By tying into the district’s Wi-Fi network, the controller connects to local weather stations and various sensors throughout the irrigation system monitoring precipitation, soil temperatures and evapotranspiration rates. Each zone in the irrigation system can be programmed to specify the number of shrubs/plants and shade or sun levels to prevent oversaturation and runoff.
“Standard clock sprinkler timers are often set at the beginning of the season and forgotten about until the systems are shut off in the winter,” said Paul Granger, superintendent of the PWWD. “Smart controllers are designed to remove human error involved in managing a home’s irrigation system; if the technology works as advertised, you will never see a sprinkler working during a rainstorm.”
Depending on the results of the pilot, the PWWD will consider whether to revise its irrigation permit program to require the use of WaterSense. WaterSense is a partnership program by the EPA that seeks to protect the nation’s water supply by offering people a way to use less water. The PWWD is a promotional partner in the EPA’s WaterSense program.
