Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers
Did you know that there are an estimated 13.5 million irrigation
systems currently installed in residential lawns across the United
States and an additional 308,000 new systems are installed each
year as a part of new home construction? Of the 13.5 million
installed units, less than 10 percent use weather-based controllers
to schedule irrigation, with the majority using standard clock timer
controllers.
Weather-based irrigation controllers use local weather and landscape
conditions to tailor irrigation schedules to actual conditions on
the site or historical weather data. Instead of irrigating according
to a preset schedule, controllers equipped with this technology
allow irrigation to more closely match the water requirements of
plants. They also offer significant potential to improve irrigation
practices in homes and businesses across the United States.
WaterSense has developed a draft specification
for weather-based irrigation controllers. To earn
the WaterSense label, controllers must be able to adequately
meet the watering needs of a landscape without overwatering.
Once the specification has been finalized, products will be independently
tested and certified by a licensed certifying body to ensure
that they meet these performance criteria. In addition, the draft
specification proposes that labeled products must contain a number
of supplementary features, such as the ability to hold multiple
irrigation schedules, to ensure the product is capable of keeping
up with ever-changing weather patterns and watering needs.
Replacing a standard clock timer controller with a WaterSense labeled
irrigation controller or installing a labeled controller on a new
irrigation system will help reduce water use in the landscape and
save on water utility bills. Read the weather-based
irrigation controller fact sheet (PDF) (1 pp, 216K, About
PDF)
for more information on EPA's
draft specification (PDF) (5 pp, 52K, About
PDF).
Manufacturers, retailers, and distributors that produce or sell
weather-based irrigation controllers will be able to join the program
as WaterSense partners once EPA has processed and reviewed public
comments. EPA will notify all interested parties when the program
is open for partnership before the release of the final specification,
in order to allow ample time to plan for the production and promotion
of WaterSense labeled products.
Sign up for the WaterSense
Current to
receive e-mail updates from WaterSense.
Technical Information
Interested in finding out more about the draft specifications for
weather-based irrigation controllers? Please visit the Weather-Based
Irrigation Controller Specification page for more detailed information.
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