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<br />Attachment C <br /> <br />Optimal Irrigation <br /> <br />Some newer technologies offer more control, resulting in better results while using less water and <br />reducing operating costs. The use of smart controllers and drip irrigation offers promising benefits for <br />the sandy nature of our soil, which does tend to make irrigation water disappear quickly. But, as seen in <br />the "Residential Weather-Based Irrigation Scheduling - The Irvine ET Controller Study", savings of 37 <br />gallons per day for an average single-family home were realized through the use of smart controllers. <br />Similar studies show savings for water run-off, and commercial usage of such systems. You can read <br />the report at http://www.usbr.gov/waterconservation/docs/SmartController.pdf. In short, smart <br />controllers use technologies from the agricultural world, based upon evapotranspiration (ET) and local <br />weather. Evapotranspiration is a crop science term for the rate at which water leaves soil and plants <br />from evaporation. After initial setup for an area, smart controllers do not require future adjustments. <br /> <br /> <br />Size/cost of each device <br /> <br />Less <br /> <br />More <br /> <br />N/A <br /> <br /> <br />Runoff on slopes <br /> <br />Typically no <br /> <br />Typically yes <br /> <br />Typically yes <br /> <br />Interesting web links: (This grouping could go to the link / reference page we discussed at the meeting.) <br /> <br />Homeowner greenscapes: see http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/greenscapes/owners.htm for <br />ideas to minimize water usage naturally. <br /> <br />Rainwater and graywater irrigation: see <br />http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publications/reports/RainwaterHarvestingManual 3rdedition. pdf for <br />detailed or http://www.h2ouse.net/tour/rain-harvesting.cfm for some practical alternate sources of <br />irrigation water. <br /> <br />EPA WaterSense Program: In 2006, the EP A introduced its voluntary public-private partnership <br />WaterSense Program. The mission of the WaterSense Program is to protect the future of our nation's <br />water supply by promoting and enhancing the market for water-efficient products and services. It is <br />being modeled after the EPA's successful Energy Star Program. The WaterSense logo will be <br />displayed on the labels of certified products. EP A staff is evaluating the potential for adoption of the <br />SWAT protocols discussed above for WaterSense certification of weather and sensor based landscape <br />irrigation control devices. See http://www.epa.gov/watersense/sim/index.htm for ways to utilize water <br />more effectively. <br /> <br />Irrigation glossary: see http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/glossary.htm for brief descriptions of many <br />irrigation terms. The authors have a sense of humor. <br />