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Evaluation of Evaluation of Sensor Sensor Based Based Residential Residential Irrigation Water Irrigation Water ApplicationApplication

Melissa B. HaleyMelissa B. HaleyAgricultural & Biological EngineeringAgricultural & Biological Engineering

Michael D. DukesMichael D. DukesAgricultural & Biological EngineeringAgricultural & Biological Engineering

Experimental DesignExperimental Design•• Residential Residential CooperatorsCooperators

–– Palm Harbor FloridaPalm Harbor Florida–– Historical water useHistorical water use

–– Landscape levelLandscape level

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Experimental DesignExperimental Design

All homes have the followingAll homes have the following

Automatic inAutomatic in‐‐ground irrigationground irrigation Water and irrigation metersWater and irrigation meters Automatic meter recording deviceAutomatic meter recording device

Experimental Experimental TreatmentsTreatmentsHomes are subdivided into 4 groupingsHomes are subdivided into 4 groupings

1. 1. Monitoring Monitoring only…………………………….….only…………………………….….

2. 2. Current irrigation system Current irrigation system plus rain sensor (6 mmplus rain sensor (6 mm)………………………..)………………………..

3.3. Current irrigation system plus rain Current irrigation system plus rain 

++

++++g y pg y psensor and educational sensor and educational materials………...materials………...

4. 4. Current irrigation system plus a Current irrigation system plus a soil moisture soil moisture sensor……………………….......sensor………………………....... ++

++++

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Timer

CommonHot

WaterValve

Water

Timer

Rain Sensor

Common

Switch

Hot

Water Water WaterValve

Water

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Timer

Rain Sensor

Common

Switch

Hot

WaterValve

WaterW

Timer

SMS Controller

Common

Switch

Hot

Water Water

Soil Moisture Sensor (SMS)

WaterValve

Water

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Timer

SMS Controller

Common

Switch

Hot

Soil Moisture Sensor (SMS)

WaterValve

WaterW

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Turf QualityTurf Quality• Turf Quality ratings based on NTEP procedures (1‐9 scale) 

1 d d t f– 1 dead turf

– 5 minimally acceptable turf quality

– 9 perfect density and color

Observed monthly precipitation (avg. of four weather stations) for the treatment period compared to historic monthly mean 

precipitation (St. Petersburg, FL)300

150

200

250

Precipitation (m

m)

0

50

100

Nov‐06 Feb‐07 May‐07 Aug‐07 Nov‐07 Feb‐08 May‐08 Aug‐08 Nov‐08

Observed Precipitation Historic Mean Precipitation (1971‐2008)

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Estimated water use statistics two years prior to the study beginning, used for treatment determination.

Estimated Irrigation Water Application Depth (in/30d)

Estimated Irrigation Water Volume Usage (gal/30d)

Quartile Average Min. Max. Average Min. Max.

Low 1.2 0.8 1.4 5,029 1,875 9,000

Medium 2.4 1.6 3.4 9,999 4,281 17,063

High 5.3 3.6 8.4 19,517 6,719 33,000

Distribution Uniformity of Cooperating Homes

9%

13%

13%

9%

17%0%

Fail (DU < 0.40)Poor (0.40-0.49)Fair (0.50-0.59)Good (0.60-0.69)Very Good (0.70-0.74)

Very Good

ExcellentFail

Poor

Fair

39%

Excellent (0.75-0.84)Exceptional (DU > 0.85)Good

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0

260

70

Results from Results from treatment designationtreatment designationthrough through Dec ‘09Dec ‘09

4

6

8

10

1230

40

50

y Effective Precipitation (inche

s)

ation App

lication (in

ches)

14%

45%

14

16

18

200

10

20

Nov‐06 Feb‐07 May‐07 Sep‐07 Dec‐07 Mar‐08 Jul‐08 Oct‐08 Jan‐09

Mon

thly

Irrig

Effective Rainfall SMS EDU+RS RS WOS

65%

0

525

30

Results Results for 2008 onlyfor 2008 only

10

15

2010

15

20

Mon

thly Effective

 Precipitation

 (in)

Irrigation

 App

lication (in

)

20%

24%

65%

25

300

5

Jan Feb Apr Jun Jul Sep Oct Dec

Effective Rainfall SMS EDU RS MO

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D l i ll d ll h

Automatic Meter Recorded DataAutomatic Meter Recorded Data

• Data‐loggers installed at all homes – Attached to existing water meter

– Installation in May 2007

– Water use data collection interval• Initially 10 minute

• Now collecting hourly

Average Number of Average Number of Irrigation Events per MonthIrrigation Events per Month

Number of Irrigation EventsIactual

Z NY Max Min Std Dev CV IcalcT

(#S/mth) (#) (#/mth) (#/mth) (#/month) (%) (#/month)

entR SMS 2.1cQ 185 11 0 2.8 136

S 4 19 22 0 6 114

Trea

tme

4RS 4.7a 195 22 0 5.6 114MO 5.2a 173 29 0 6.5 125EDU 3.6b 187 20 0 4.1 113

Seas

onP

by Y

ear

2007

Spring __N __ __ __ __ __ __

Summer 2.1 32 21 0 4.3 210 5Fall 4.5 81 29 0 6.7 153 4Winter 4.1 46 21 0 4.9 137 2

008

Spring 5.6a 144 29 0 5.6 109 7Summer 4.1b 138 26 0 5.0 135 3F ll 2 8 117 20 0 3 6 143 5S 2 Fall 2.8c 117 20 0 3.6 143 5Winter 3.5bc 138 29 0 4.7O 151 2

Note: Uppercase superscript letters indicate footnotes.Z Monthly average number of irrigation events applied.Y N = number of observations in the comparison.T Number of irrigation events per month, calculated from the SWB.S Conversion: 1 inch = 25.4 mmR Treatments are: SMS, time-based controller plus soil moisture sensor system; RS, time-based controller plus rain sensor; MO, time-based controller only; EDU, time-based controller plus rain sensor and educational

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SMSSMSHomeHome

Rain Sensor Rain Sensor + + EduEdu HomeHome

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Rain SensorRain SensorHomeHome

0

50

100

150

20040

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Mon

thly Precipitation

 (mm)

Irrigation

 App

lication (m

m)

0

50

100

150

20040

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Mon

thly Precipitation

 (mm)

Irrigation

 App

lication (m

m)

SMSSMSHomesHomes

RSRSHomesHomes

2500

20

2500

20

0

50

140

160

180

200

n (m

m)

n (m

m)

0

50

140

160

180

200

n (m

m)

 (mm)Meter OnlyMeter Only

HHRS + RS + EduEdu..HomesHomes

100

150

200

2500

20

40

60

80

100

120

Mon

thly Precipitation

Irrigation

 App

lication

100

150

200

2500

20

40

60

80

100

120

Mon

thly Precipitation

Irrigation

 App

lication

Effective Rainfall Actual Irr. Applied Calculated Irr. Need

HomesHomes HomesHomes

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SummarySummary

• The soil moisture sensor group – has statistically the lowest cumulative and meanhas statistically the lowest cumulative and mean irrigation application

– least number of weekly irrigation events 

• By inspection of the frequency of the irrigation events for each treatment (from AMR data)– the soil moisture sensor effectively bypasses irrigation– the soil moisture sensor effectively bypasses irrigation events 

• this is the only treatment in which the range of monthly irrigation events is successfully governed

Next Household PhaseLessons Learned

• LocationS i i– Socioeconomics

– Neighborhood aesthetics

• Educational Materials– Type – Distribution 

• Method• Timing

• Water Source Watering Day Restrictions

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Thank YouI will gladly answer any questions…

This research was supported by the Pinellas‐Anclote Basin Board of the Southwest Water 

AcknowledgementsRobert Peacock, Sean Hannigan, Diane Weaver, and Sheryl Powers from the Pinellas County Utilities 

Anclote Basin Board of the Southwest Water Management District, the Florida Department of Agriculture, and the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association.

yConservation Department, and from the University of Florida, F. Wayne Williams, Bernard Cardenas‐Lailhacar, Mary Shedd McCready, Stacia Davis, Daniel Rutland, Eban Bean, and Kristen Femminella for their assistance and on this project.

Average irrigated areas for each of the treatments.

Irrigated Area (ft2)Treatment

Mean Med Min Max

SMS 5,318 5,176 2,018 8,605

RS 7,279 5,919 3,899 18,976

MO 7 118 6 559 2 929 12 773MO 7,118 6,559 2,929 12,773

EDU 6,113 6,042 2,788 10,736