Published: Feb 15, 2019 | 16:06 PM

IRWD Data Drives Smart Sprinklers

Changes in the weather say a lot about your landscape’s water needs. That’s why IRWD operates three weather stations—in the coastal, central and foothill regions—to continually monitor site-specific data such as temperature, solar radiation, wind and humidity. The information gathered is used to calculate the amount of water landscape needs to thrive in its specific climate zone.

IRWD recently moved its central weather station to a facility operated by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. As a part of our partnership, IRWD renovated the nearby UC ANR station, which is part of the California Irrigation Management Information System network of over 145 weather stations statewide. Having the two stations almost sideby-side helps researchers compare data for optimal accuracy.

If you have a smart controller at your home, it uses live or historical weather data to manage watering times and frequency. Your controller receives data from an on-site sensor or a signal from a local weather station. By automatically shutting off on cold and rainy days, it can cut water use 15-30%.

Working together, IRWD and UC ANR put on workshops and events throughout the year, helping residents adopt water-efficient and sustainable practices for their gardens.

To learn more about weather data, visit RightScapeNow.com/landscape-resources/et-weather-center. If you don’t have a weather-based irrigation controller, we might have a rebate to help you buy one. Find out at RightScapeNow.com/rebates.