WeatherTRAK Smart Irrigation Controller Selected for CA Green Builder Program |
02/14/2006
HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc., the leader in weather-based irrigation management, says its WeatherTRAK smart controllers have been approved for the California Green Builder (CGB) program (www.cagreenbuilder.com). The program, supported by the Metropolitan Water District (MWD), the California Building Industry Association (CBIA), and CBIA affiliate the Building Industry Institute, aims to save at least 20,000 gallons of water per year in new homes by motivating builders and buyers to select sustainable landscape designs, plants with lower water needs and water-saving appliances. The average annual household water use is 127,400 gallons.
In addition to meeting requirements for energy efficiency, wood conservation, indoor air quality and waste diversion, CGB homes use at least 20,000 gallons less water than similar, newly constructed "non-green" homes through the use of parallel hot water piping or hot water recirculation systems, ultra-low flow toilets, weather-based irrigation controllers and other water-saving devices. Alternately, builders can meet CGB's water conservation requirements through enrollment in the MWD California Friendly water conservation program (www.bewaterwise.com). Other water districts offer similar programs for customers outside MWD's service area.
WeatherTRAK-enabled smart controllers were selected based on their track record of successes in 20 public agency studies - more than all studies of other smart controllers combined. Available from the Toro Company (www.toro.com/irrigation/res/smturfcont/intelli), Irritrol (www.irritrol.com) and HydroPoint (www.weathertrak.com), WeatherTRAK-enabled controllers have been shown to maximize water savings and urban runoff reduction. Additionally, WeatherTRAK is the only controller with settings for MWD's California Friendly low water use plants, and the only controller with built-in precipitation rates for low-volume irrigation systems.
The CGB program puts WeatherTRAK irrigation controllers and other water-saving appliances on display in model homes. Builders that equip production homes with these features may benefit from reduced fees charged by local jurisdictions, improved plan checks and marketing support. Shea Homes, the nation's largest privately held homebuilder, has installed WeatherTRAK at homes and communities in Arizona, California, Colorado and other western states; 3,000 installations are planned before year-end. The controllers are visibly reducing landscape water runoff, which pollutes local environments and leads to hardscape damage, asphalt corrosion, unhealthy plants, slope erosion and mold. Moreover, Shea homeowners are maximizing monthly water bill savings because WeatherTRAK only irrigates when plants actually need water, based on daily, local weather conditions and a host of landscape-specific characteristics, such as soil type, plant material and gradient.
Based in Petaluma, California, HydroPoint is privately owned and operated. View a WeatherTRAK demo at www.weathertrak.com
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