Water Conservation. What is The Intelligent Use of Water? Using water efficiently Landscape...

Water Conservation

What is The Intelligent Use of Water?

• Using water efficiently• Landscape irrigation focus

• Conservation through efficient irrigation

Why conserve?

• Water availability• Population growth

• Increased usage• Lessen legislative impact

Properly designed, installed, maintained and managed landscape irrigation systems greatly

reduce the volume of irrigation water that is wasted every year.

How important is Water Conservation?

The World’s Water Crisis

There is no new water.

Ninety-five percent of the United States' fresh water is underground. As farmers in the Texan High Plains

pump groundwater faster than rain replenishes it, the water tables are dropping. North America's largest

aquifer, the Ogallala, is being depleted at a rate of 12 billion cubic meters (bcm) a year. Total depletion to

date amounts to some 325 bcm, a volume equal to the annual flow of 18 Colorado Rivers. The Ogallala

stretches from Texas to South Dakota, and waters one fifth of US irrigated land. Many farmers in the High Plains are now turning away from irrigated agriculture,

as they become aware of the hazards of over pumping, and realize water is not in endless supply.

“One person in six lives without regular access to safe drinking water; over twice that number – 2.4 billion – lack access to

adequate sanitation.”

-Kofi Annan

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Water Availability

Water is a finite resource

• 97% saltwater• 2% snow and icebergs

• 1% freshwater• 0.1% retrievable for human use

• “There is no new water”

Most of Earth’s “fallen” water (rain, snow, & ice) evaporates immediately, pours into inaccessible areas,

or flows into the ocean before it can be retrieved.

10% of total rainfall on earth is retrievable for use by humans.

Of that percentage, only 40% (or 4% of total rainfall) is

ultimately used.

Population growth

• The world’s population was 6.1 billion in 2000 and is projected to reach 8 billion by 2030.

• The U.S. has the highest growth rate of any industrialized country in the world - adds 3.2 million people per year• The U.S. average fertility rate is 2.1 births per woman

(Canada’s rate is 1.4)•Immigration accounts for 1/3 of population growth

Water consumption is increasing

• Water consumption doubles every 20 years• Since 1900 the U.S. population has doubled,

but per capita water use has increased eightfold

Population Growth

Half a billion people (8% of the world’s population) are experiencing moderate to severe water shortages.

The greatest increase in future water demands will be the result of population growth.

Colorado River:

Falls more than 12,000 feet.

It’s Drainage Basin covers over 244,000 square miles.

1,440 miles long and passes through seven states and Mexico

Colorado River ranks only sixth among the nation’s rivers in volume of flow with an average flow in excess of 17.5 million

acre-feet.

Demands on the Colorado River:

Provides municipal and industrial water for more than 24 million people living in

the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Las

Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, San Diego and hundreds of other communities in

the seven states.

Provides irrigation water to about 2.0 million acres of land.

Colorado River:

The Colorado is a major and in some cases life-sustaining source of water for irrigation, drinking, and other uses by

people living in the arid American southwest.

Dams built along the Colorado River:

Glen Canyon, Hoover, Davis, Parker, Imperial,

and Laguna Dams.

Colorado River:

Lake Powell at the confluence with the Dirty Devil RiverPhotographs by John C. Dohrenwend

June 29, 2002

Lake Powell at the confluence with the Dirty Devil RiverPhotographs by John C. Dohrenwend

December 23, 2003

66% of water used by Residential Community

Of that

67% (44% of all water used) is used outdoors.

Options available to address Water Conservation issues:

1. Water Re-pricing

2. Water Re-use

3. Desalination

4. Water Transfer and Improvements to Water Delivery Systems

5. Alternative Plant Selection

6. Conservation through water-efficient irrigation

Water agency reactions to drought

• Water bans and restrictions• Irrigation audits

• Tiered water rates• Water-efficient product rebates

• Lawn size and landscape restrictions

• Texas and Florida requiring rain shut-off devices

• Southern Nevada Water Authority paying homeowners up to $900 to replace turf• Aurora, CO banned installation of new

landscapes• Metropolitan Water District advertising

campaign and website

Why target landscape irrigation?

• Very visible form of water use• 25% to 70% of residential water use

attributed to plants, lawns and gardens• Prior indoor focus now turned outside

•EPA Taking notice – ‘Water Sense’

Recent controller focus only part of the solution

• Average automatic irrigation systems apply much more water than ET requirement

• Controllers are seldom adjusted• System solution is needed - controller is one

component

Efficient irrigation requires the combination of four

critical components:

1. Design

2. Water-efficient products

3. Installation

4. Usage/Maintenance

Why should you care?

• Be perceived as part of the solution, not the problem• Opportunity to sell value-added, higher margin

products/systems• Opportunity to differentiate and grow your business• Property owners want to have beautiful landscapes

and save $

Over watering creates problems beyond the cost of wasted water

• Leaches nutrients from the root zone

• Causes fungus and attracts pests• Causes plant death

• Adds maintenance time and labor• Run-off damages hardscapes and is a liability

• Poor public relations

Lifetime cost of an irrigation system

• Design, product, installation, maintenance, water and power costs all contribute to lifetime cost

• Water becomes the largest component over time

• Promote the water/cost savings benefits of water-efficient products

• Design for different plant needs• Become more educated about irrigation efficiency

– Become Irrigation Association (IA) certified

Water-Efficient Products and Practices for Irrigation Installation

Water-Efficient Products and Practices for Irrigation Installation

• Install water-efficient products:– Pressure regulating devices

• Maintain optimal operating pressures• Prevent misting/fogging in high pressure areas• Each 5 psi reduction reduces water use 6-8%

–Check valves or Seal-A-Matics™ (SAMs)• Prevent low head drainage in areas that have different elevations• Reduce erosion & run-off

• Install water-efficient products:

– High efficiency nozzles• More uniform coverage uses up to 30% less water

– Direct-to-plant-root irrigation in non-turf areas • Deliver water at/near the root for maximum efficiency• Run-off and over-spray eliminated

Water-Efficient Products and Practices for Irrigation Installation

• Install water-efficient products:– Flow control devices

• Reduce water use, misting and run-off – Automatic shut-off devices

• Prevent watering when it rains or when there is sufficient soil moisture, resulting in 15-20% water-savings

Water-Efficient Products and Practices for Irrigation Installation

• Install automatic controllers with water-efficient functions:

– Multiple start times • Several shorter run times reduce run-off and increase absorption

– Multiple independent programs • Water various zones according to plant type

Water-Efficient Products and Practices for Irrigation Installation

• Install automatic controllers with water-efficient functions:

– Water Budget • Easy and flexible seasonal adjustments to water use

– Rain Delay • Postpones irrigation when not needed and resumes when appropriate

Water-Efficient Products and Practices for Irrigation Installation

• Install automatic controllers with water-efficient functions:

– Cycle + SoakTM • Applies water at a rate soil can more easily absorb

– Flow Management• Detects system problems like line breaks or broken sprinklers and stops irrigation in the affected areas

Water-Efficient Products and Practices for Irrigation Installation

• Install automatic controllers with water-efficient functions:

– ET Programming • Enables the controller to apply only the water required by the landscape

Water-Efficient Products and Practices for Irrigation Installation

• For complete system automation on commercial sites, use central control systems

– Monitor and adjust to environmental conditions– Annual water savings of 25-30% on average

Water-Efficient Products and Practices for Irrigation Installation

What can you do?

• Promote water-efficient products and practices

• Become IA certified• Support/participate in local government programs– water audits, rebates/incentives, education/training

What can you do?

• Use Rain Bird resources and tools– Intelligent Use of Water literature– Irrigation for a Growing World white papers– Product and homeowner literature– PRS calculator

Questions?

• Beauty and relaxation for family, employees and visitors

• Reflects positively on owner• Increases real estate market value

• Provides safe, high-quality play and exercise areas

The value of landscaping

The value of landscaping

• Soil erosion control• Rainwater entrapment and ground water recharge

• Provides shelter for wildlife• Solar heat dissipation

• Reduces air and noise pollution

The value of landscaping• Eight average front lawns have the cooling effect of 70

tons or air conditioning• One tree removes 26 pounds of carbon dioxide and

produces 13 pounds of oxygen annually - enough to support a family of four

•Proper selection and placement of plant material can reduce heating and cooling costs by 20%

• Turf, shrubs and trees reduce noise pollution by up to 50%

We are not the enemy

• The irrigation industry is part of the green industry offering tremendous benefits to

society• We need to partner and work together for the benefit of our industry and businesses