High-tech Watering System Eliminates the Guess Work |
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April 12, 2008 From The Times Colonist By Darron Kloster With watering restrictions looming May 1, yard lovers in the region might want to leave the hose hassle to some ground-breaking technology this year. Irrigation systems that allow homeowners and commercial users the ability to program timers for the days and hours and duration of watering -- even from their home PCs -- have been around for years. But there's a new kid on the block that uses real-time technology to take watering and plant health to another level, says Steve Gitzel of Wes-Tech Irrigation Supply Ltd. on Alpha St. The new computer irrigation systems, made by HydroPoint in the U.S. and licensed to Toro and Irritrol in Canada, essentially takes all the guess work out of watering by uploading satellite weather and topography information specific to your area -- in fact, down to your postal code. Your soil type, varieties of plants and other information like root depth and exposure to the sun in each irrigation zone is also programmed. On the days you are allowed to water, the system decides for you by selecting specific sprinklers or none at all. There are more than 15,000 of the real-time systems in place in the U.S., and the technology is just making its way into Canada. The Royal Colwood Golf Club has a system around its clubhouse and the Municipality of Oak Bay uses one on some of its boulevards. Another eight are used by residential users, Gitzel said. The controllers start at about $500, he said. Len Fraser, who operates Frascape Landscaping in Victoria and installed one last year for a homeowner, said the systems are catching on as more people find out about them. "We are now able to utilize real-time information to control the length and frequency of watering as opposed to what we think is going to be needed," he said. "You may be allowed two days of watering, but you may only need one or none at all that week. This will tell you. "It's not point-and-shoot anymore" when it comes to water use, he said. "People are getting a lot more proactive in what they can do to conserve." Fraser said property owners can save hundreds in water bills and plants, which are often killed by overwatering, as well as avoid the waste of runoff and spillover on roads and driveways that often carry pollutants into storm drains. |
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