Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 10/05/2009

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Attachment C Irrigation methods have come a long way from attaching a sprinkler to a hose, turning on the water, and literally forgetting about it. Irrigation is about controlling and scheduling water application. According to the Irrigation Association, up to thirty percent (30%) of irrigation water may be saved from evaporation by setting watering schedules from late afternoon to before sunrise. Here is a short list of application methods available to assist in keeping your property beautiful: Water applicators: - Above ground sprinklers have been around for many years and newer sprinklers have design improvements that help save water. Some sprinklers even allow for "shaping" the water distribution to avoid watering hardscapes like driveways and walkways. These sprinklers are best for circular or rectangular water distribution, and are the least expensive mechanical system for watering. Above ground sprinklers have the largest water droplet size going into the air, with less velocity, resulting in less wind affecting the water distribution than in-ground systems. Here are a couple examples of these types of sprinklers: [ROBl] In-ground sprinklers are less labor intensive, are normally connected to a watering controller, and offer a wide selection of sprinklers (heads) to target a variety of plants. In ground systems are more costly than above ground sprinklers and require more maintenance, such as being blown out with air before winter to prevent freezing damage, impacted sprinkler heads and typical line and sprinkler head maintenance. Water output from many in-ground systems takes on a mist form, resulting in water diversion from the plants. The wind floats the mist away, which does nothing for watering your property. In-ground sprinkler systems can range from simple to complex, both in design and installation, and have the potential to be expensive. But, they also have the greatest array of watering options.