A Word on Water

Irrigation Management - It's More Than Technology

  

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We have posted a number of blogs about the many facets of professional irrigation management.  These previous posts have covered flow sensors, ways of adjusting irrigation schedules, communication options, irrigation audits and video evidence of the kind of stuff we here at Irrigation Management Systems encounter.

However, there is one crucial aspect of IMS' services to our clients that has not been addressed yet.  It goes beyond computers, hardware, software or even changing weather conditions.  Instead it is the most human activity that Irrigation Management Systems does to find problems and save water.  It is walking.

Yes, plain, old, mundane walking is what we do to find what will otherwise be unfound. Oh, it is also includes a fair dose of looking.  Walking and looking, looking and walking is what IMS does to accomplish what the best of technology, including flow sensors, cannot.

Here it is simply called a "walk through".  What it involves is creating a program to run a certain set of valves in a step by step sequence.  This sequence is created so that a person, or walker, can observe each valve come on for at least two minutes, make notes of problems, and then be in position to repeat the process for the next valve (zone) in the schedule.

What is being noted for each zone is pretty straightforward:

• Did the zone come on?
• Were there any irrigation breaks?  If so, how severe were they?
• Do any irrigation heads need to be adjusted?
• Does the irrigation schedule for this zone need to be adjusted?

That's about it.  It's not complicated.  Indeed, it's rather simple to do.  Yet, it...can...be...TEDIOUS. 

Keep in mind how this works.  Each zone runs for two or more minutes (depending on how much area the zone covers), any problems are noted, the next zone in the schedule comes on and the walker walks to the next one and repeats the process...zone after zone after zone.

A small site would be something like 20 zones resulting in a walk through of up to about an hour.  No big deal.  Then there are sites which have dozens of zones, which require a full morning or afternoon to finish.  Beyond this category are the mongo sites, which have hundreds of zones.  These sites take two to three days to complete.  One zone at a time.

Of the dozens or even hundreds of zones done during a walk through, usually 5-10% have some kind of problem worth noting.  In addition to noting the problem, like a broken line, IMS also places a flag at the problem spot.  This is done so that the landscape contractor can more easily find the problem themselves after they receive a walk through report from IMS.  A copy of the report is also sent to the property manager or property owner.

One last point on this walk through thing.  It takes commitment and will to do it.  It's not mentally stimulating nor is it fun.  And clients don't even demand that IMS does.   Yet we still do it. 

Technology does a lot to irrigate a landscape in more efficient manner, but it cannot do everything.  That's why we walk.