Irrigation Equipment Upgrades & Landscape Water Use
EfficiencyBAWSCA & City of Palo Alto
11-May-2019Sherri D. Osaka
Sustainable Landscape Designs
Topics
Water usage Parts of an Irrigation System and Common
Problems Map your Current System Switching from Spray to Drip Available Rebates
TRACKING WATER USE
Unit/ CCF = 100 cubic feet1 CCF = 748 GALLONS OF WATER1 CF = 7.48 GALLONS
Tier 1 0-6 Units $6.64Tier 2 7+ Units $9.44
Water Rates City of Palo AltoBilling Monthly
Tracking Your Water UsageREAD DATE
USAGECCF
05/20/2014 18 ***
03/20/2014 16
01/22/2014 23
11/20/2013 29
09/20/2013 38
07/23/2013 64 ****
05/21/2013 29
03/21/2013 25
01/23/2013 18
11/19/2012 35
09/21/2012 31
07/23/2012 26
05/18/2012 22
03/21/2012 27
01/23/2012 19
11/18/2011 26
09/22/2011 28
07/21/2011 30
05/19/2011 25
Check for leaksRead your water meter
One in every 10 homes has a leak that is wasting at least 90 gallons of water per day.
9Source: California Building Industry Association report, January 2010
Landscaping: 57%Overwatering 9%
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50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
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GALLONS
Year 1999 to 2015
Series1
Series2
Series3
1999Leak 1
2000 2006:Leak 2 2010
Rainy
2011Refilledpool
2014New Toilets
2015 manual Irrigation
Water Savings: 100,000 gallons/ yr, $600/ yrSan Jose: 10,000 sf lot w/ pool
2009: Leak 3,Removed lawn
Current water use 38,000 gallons per year
Strategies for No Irrigation Landscapes
Hydrozone Use Very Low Water plants – see WUCOLS Handwater as needed Improve the soil
Components of an Irrigation System
Source of water Backflow preventers Flow meters Valves Pressure regulator Filters Spray heads or emitters End caps or flush valves
Source
City water Gray water Rain water Reclaimed/ recycled water
Backflow Prevention
Valves
Anti-siphon –no backflow needed
Inground – only with backflow
Pressure Regulators
Pressure should be between 20 and < 50 PSI Household pressure typically 60-90 PSI
Filters – A Must for Drip!
Sprayhead filter –they clog!
Y filter Inline filter 120 mesh minimum
Emitters
On-line In-line – I prefer these
These can pop off
Fittings
Barbed – I prefer these Compression
These can pop off
Flush Caps
For 12 mm and ¼”
For 17 mm and 1/2”
These can pop off
Irrigation Controllers
Have A, B, and C programs Set the length of time Set the start time Set the number of days per week Set the number of cycles per day “Smart” or “dumb” Indoors controllers must be installed indoors!
Each type of irrigation on its own valve, no mixing!
Options: emitter spacing: 12”, 18”, 24”Emitter flow: 0.26, 0.4, 0.6, 0.9 GPH
Problems with Drip
Kinks in line Line cut (shovel) or chewed through
Common Problems Mixing spray, drip, micro-sprays on same zone Drip emitters pop off Controller has multiple start times by accident Pressure is too high > 50 PSI for drip, > 30 PSI for spray Kinks in drip lines Drip lines cut or damaged Overspray Improper installation – anti-siphon below ground, or valves in ground without
backflow Missing drip filter and/ or pressure regulator Indoor controller installed outdoors Sprayhead spacing Sprayheads blocked by overgrown plants Lawn heads too high or too low Wire connectors not water-proofed Clogged filters (in spray heads) Worn out rotors
Map Your Irrigation System
Irrigation “As Built”
• Backflow• Valve locations
• Each zone color coded• Point of connection• Flush valve• Sprayhead locations
• Controller location• Rain sensor• Flow sensor
• Irrigation schedule listed
Base Plan of Your Garden
Screen shot off Google Earth Or create a base plan
Note the water meter and mainline to the house Note location of backflow if present, usually near the
water meter or near the house connection Note each valve, possibly tag each one Note if there is a water shut-off for the house,quarter turn, NOT gate valve Note if there is a shut-off for each valve manifold
Turn on each valve (zone) map onto the landscape
Note what type of irrigation: spray, microspray, drip, bubblers, etc.
Make sure only one type per valve/ zone
Run each zone, note any issues Breaks in drip line, look and listen Sprayheads that don’t pop Sprayheads that are blocked Mix of drip, spray, rotors, microsprays, etc.
Scheduling – How much water should I apply?
High water plants = 1” of water per week in the summer
Medium water = ½” of water per week Low water = ¼” of water per week Very low water =
1/8” of water per week, ¼” of water every other week, or ½” of water every month
Example - Scheduling Lawn
1” of water = .08’ (for high water plants) 1,000 square feet of lawn = 80 cubic feet per week of water
Use Your Water Meter to Measure FLOW for Each Zone!
Turn off all water in house and gardenTurn on one valve, wait 5 minutesMeasure the time for one rotation of the needle = 1 cubic foot of water/ x minutes (seconds)
Example Scheduling Lawn
1” of water = .08’ 1,000 square feet of lawn = 80 cubic feet per week of water (80*7.48=~600 gallons per week)
Run the zone 1 minute/ 1 cubic foot of flow 80 cubic feet of water = how many minutes?
Why is Spray Irrigation Inefficient?
Why is Spray Irrigation Inefficient?1. Overspray2. Runoff 3. Poor design4. Misting 5. Broken heads6. Plants blocking spray head7. Watering when it’s raining8. Watering when it’s windy
History of Drip Irrigation
Simcha Blass 1960s
How to Change from Spray to Drip
Changing from Spray to Drip Rainbird Kit: 1800
Retro 200 mesh filter 30 PSI pressure
regulator Flow is 0.5 to 6
GPM
Changing from Spray to DripAgrifim Conversion Kit
30 psi pressure regulator200-mesh filter5 gpm flow
Two Drip Irrigation Methods Point Source Per Plant
Method Add emitters per each plant More efficient when plants
are small Less expensive to install Limits root and plant growth Requires more maintenance
if plants change Can make adjustments for
differing water requirements
Two Drip Irrigation Methods Grid Method
Waters all the soil, mimics rainfall
Inefficient when plants are small
Better long term for growth
More expensive to install
Must hydrozone!
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Lawn uses subsurface drip irrigation—
Recommend Netafim Techline CV products
Subsurface Drip Irrigation for Lawns and Meadows
Subsurface Irrigation for:anything that requires mowing
17 mm Inline tubing
Lite Layout
No automatic flush valve, use a manual one
Grid Layout PVC
Input header
Grid Layout
Sand, Loam, Clay Soils
Drip Spacing
Clay– 12” OC, 12-16” rows for lawn, subsurface Clay – 18” OC, 18-22” for shrubs, on surface
below mulch
Clay Soils Hold More Water
Slopes
More water at the bottom of the hill, lay lines farther apart
Less water at the top of the hill, lay lines closer together
More pressure at the bottom of the hill. Lay lines parallel to the contour of the hill
Special Cases
Vegetable beds – ¼ - 3/8” tubing, 6-12”
Pots – ¼ - 3/8” tubing, 6-12”
How to Design a Drip System
Measure pressure and flow Hydrozone areas (exercise) Select emitter size and spacing Select line spacing Determine flow per each area (exercise) Is there enough flow for the valves? Is there too much flow for the pipe?
Pressure/ water guage
Hydrozoning
Hydrozoning is the practice of clustering together plants with similar water requirements in an effort to conserve water. Grouping plants into hydrozones is an approach to irrigation and planting design where plants with similar water needs are grouped together.
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Water Use Classifications of Landscape Species (WUCOLS)
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High Water-Use Plants
Lawn – Kentucky blue grass European birches, Alders Maidenhair fern Western chain fern – Woodwardia fimbriata
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Medium Water-Use Plants
Fruit trees, Japanese maples Vegetable gardens Coral bells Boxwood
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Low Water-Use Plants
Oak trees Sages, Rosemary, Lavender Native iris Warm season grasses
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Very Low Water-Use Plants
Oaks, Buckeyes Woolly Blue Curls Sages, some Native bulbs Cool season grasses
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Hydrozoning