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