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Michael D. Dukes, Ph.D., P.E.Agricultural & Biological Engineering
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS)
Tampa Bay Regional Water Shortage Management Workshop
Tampa, FL, May 5, 2009
Water Conservation Potential of
Smart Irrigation Controllers
Irrigation is a Standard “Appliance”
Improper Design & Installation: Improper
Coverage
SMART WATER APPLICATION
TECHNOLOGY (SWAT)
What is Smart Water Application Technology
(SWAT)?
• SWAT Irrigation technologies designed to
conserve water
• SWAT concept created approx. 2001 by
Irrigation Association (IA) & water purveyors
• Technologies
• Soil moisture sensor (SMS) controllers
• Evapotranspiration (ET) controllers
• Rain sensors (RS)
Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT)
Irrigation controllers that respond
to conditions in the irrigated
system to automatically adjust to
plant needs
Soil moisture sensor (SMS) controllers
Evapotranspiration (ET) based controllers
Rain sensors (RS)
SMS CONTROLLER TESTING ON
PLOTS
12' × 12'
Research (2004 - 2008)
SMS/ET Controllers 2006-08, Drought
ConditionsSt. Augustinegrass
testing ongoing since
March 2006
72 plots
18 treatments & 4 replicates
A: Rain Sensors
B: Soil Moisture Sensor & ET
ControllersPhoto May 2006, M.L. Shedd
Irrigation Savings Compared to a Time Schedule No Rain Sensor
72
54
59
39
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Normal rainfall Dry conditions
Irri
gati
on S
avin
gs
(%)
Gainesville
Citra
SMS TESTING ON COOPERATING
HOMES, PINELLAS CO.
Treatments
• SMS, Current irrigation system without rain sensor
and with a soil moisture sensor controller
• EDU+RS, Current irrigation system with rain
sensor & seasonal run time guidelines
• RS, Current irrigation system with rain sensor
• WOS, Current irrigation system without a
sensor
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
200
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Nov-06 Feb-07 May-07 Sep-07 Dec-07 Mar-08 Jul-08 Oct-08 Jan-09
Mo
nth
ly E
ffe
ctiv
e P
reci
pit
atio
n (i
nch
es)
Irri
gati
on
Ap
plic
atio
n (i
nch
es)
Effective Rainfall SMS EDU+RS RS WOS
Pinellas County Homes, Irrigation Nov 06 – Dec 08
62a
54a
34b
22c
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
200
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Nov-06 Feb-07 May-07 Sep-07 Dec-07 Mar-08 Jul-08 Oct-08 Jan-09
Mo
nth
ly E
ffe
ctiv
e P
reci
pit
atio
n (i
nch
es)
Irri
gati
on
Ap
plic
atio
n (i
nch
es)
Effective Rainfall SMS EDU+RS RS WOS
Pinellas County Homes, Irrigation Nov 06 – Dec 08
62a
54a
34b
22c65%
45%
14%
ET CONTROLLER TESTING,
HILLSBOROUGH CO.
ET Controller StudyGCREC Hillsborough County
• Three ET controllers: Weathermatic, Smartline SL800
Toro, Intellisense TIS-612OD
ETwater, Smart Controller 100
• Timeclock with RS
• Reduced timeclock schedule with RS
Residential study in Hillsborough County…
• 38 residential cooperators in Hillsborough Co.
o 21 homes have an ET controller
o 17 homes are a comparison group
• All volunteers are moderate to high water users
But will ET controllers work in the real world?!
Irrigation Savings Potential
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Time Clock Adjustment
Rain Sensor Soil Moisture Sensor, plots
Soil Moisture Sensor, homes
ET Controller,
plots
ET Controller,
homes
Irri
gati
on S
avin
gs
(%)
Rainy
DryN
o d
ata
No d
ata
No
da
ta
Next Steps….
• Applying the technology Targeting users with potential savings
Building public awareness
Education of contractors for proper installation
Verification of savings over time
• Apply to reclaim irrigation to stretch increasingly limited supplies
Thank you!
Southwest Florida Water Management District, Pinellas Co. Utilities, Hillsborough Co. Water Dept., Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Assoc., Florida Turfgrass Assoc., Florida Sod
Growers Co-op.
mddukes@ufl.eduhttp://irrigation.ifas.ufl.edu
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