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Leading builder Pulte Homes chooses WeatherTRAKAugust 2006Inefficient water management in residential properties can often cause a leak in homebuilder profits. It is not uncommon for builders to incur large costs due to mold, erosion, landscape damage, and government fees as a result of water processes on a residential property. At the same time, homebuyers are becoming more conscious of the increasing costs associated with water waste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), www.epa.gov, Washington, D.C., announced WaterSense, a water efficiency program aimed at educating consumers on smart water usage. By adopting water efficiency products, according to the EPA, homeowners can save approximately 30,000 gallons of water per year. Certain areas of the country are already turning towards technology for assistance in their conservation efforts. In early June, for example, water agencies in Southern California offered residents the option of obtaining a free smart sprinkler system, which monitor environmental conditions and water landscapes appropriately. The program was designed to educate homeowners on the benefits of water-saving technology. According to an official with the local water district, this type of technology can save up to 40 gallons of water per day per household. With a renewed focus on water management, more homebuilders and landscape contractors are evaluating the effectiveness of smart irrigation systems on properties. One of the leading providers of these systems is HydroPoint, www.weathertrak.com, Petaluma, Calif., which manufactures the WeatherTRAK system. The system can automatically calculate an irrigation schedule based on landscape-specific parameters and adjust watering schedules based on local weather variations. Pulte Homes, www.pulte.com, Bloomfield Homes, Mich., implemented WeatherTRAK in the Silver Stone Ranch property in Las Vegas at the beginning of the year. Silver Stone Ranch is a community under Pulte's Del Webb active adult community development division. "Our goal is to install the technology and within a year's time have it pay for itself," says David Lee Hicks, landscape project manager with the development. "For each subsequent year, the goal is to take the money savings in water usage and either pass it on to homeowners or reinvest it into the community." While quantifiable results have yet to be properly measured, Hicks is confident the 20-25% reduction in water costs projected for the program is being met. "I can tell that it is working, based on many considerations," says Hicks. "I don't have to worry about water runoff or violation notices or phone calls when homeowners tell me that the sprinklers are on when it is raining. Residents are very mindful of their community and they want to ensure that water waste is not happening on any level. We are able to do that much easier with WeatherTRAK as opposed to having someone come out to the community and turn off or change the timing (on the water cycles) because of rain or windstorms, or things of that nature." While the system is on a trial basis at Silver Stone Ranch, Hicks would like to see it become standard on additional Del Webb properties. " Reprinted with permission from the August 2006 issue of Constructech magazine, a trademark of Specialty Publishing Co. |
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