Smart Irrigation Month is a month-long campaign initiated by the Irrigation Association, dedicated to celebrating and promoting the benefits of smart and efficient irrigation. The SMART irrigation acronym stands for “Smart Irrigation is Sustainably Managed, Accountable, Responsible and Trusted irrigation.” What does this mean for you? SMART irrigation aims to minimize their environmental footprint through efficient water use, saving water, saving time, saving and money!

In the age of Ring Doorbells and Nest thermostats, it is no surprise that you can now control your irrigation system from your smart phone or tablet! The most popular smart Wifi irrigation controllers Pacific Lawn Sprinklers installs are Hydrawise, Hydrorain, Rainbird, and Rachio. We highly recommend a Wifi controller on all new lawn sprinkler installations. The Android and iOS apps feature smart phone dashboards so you can update your irrigation system’s settings, manually run zones, check watering history, and much more. However, in addition to the “cool factor”, smart Wifi controllers have some great benefits:

Save Money

According to the Irrigation Association, smart controllers save money because they can reduce your annual water bill by as much as 30 percent by preventing water waste. Plus, many local water providers actually offer rebates for purchasing specific smart controllers! Smart controllers offer in app alerts so you can monitor your water usage and receive an alert if there is a possible leak in the system.

Save Water

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, for as much as the water we use outdoors, as much as 50% is wasted due to inefficient watering methods and systems. Smart Watering takes environmental factors into consideration such as soil type, slope, sun exposure, and the type of sprinkler head to further ensure water conservation and optimal watering. Smart systems communicate with local weather stations and automatically adjust watering time and frequency based on the data received. The cloud based software will also automatically suspend irrigation during rain, freezing temperatures or high wind speed. Preventing overwatering actually keeps plants healthier by encouraging stronger roots and discouraging weeds, disease and fungus growth. Smart watering ensures plants and grass remain healthy — rain or shine. No more wasted water and no more dead plants!

Save Time

Once Pacific Lawn Sprinklers has programmed your site data into the smart system and set your watering triggers, the controller automatically adjusts the watering schedule. Smart Watering can also be configured to adhere to local watering restrictions, such as watering on only odd or even days. The smart controller will do the work, and you can sit back and enjoy your health landscape!

Added Convenience

Smart controllers adapt to seasonal weather changes without requiring reprogramming. How about another “cool factor”? Many Wifi controllers are compatible with the Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can essentially voice command your irrigation system!