1. Simple Irrigation System Checkup
Joshua Campbell
Extension Associate
OSU Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture

2. What is Smart Irrigation Month?
Smart Irrigation Month is a national campaign lead by the Irrigation Association to increase public awareness of the value of water-use efficiency during summer’s peak demand.
Smart Irrigation Month is a collaboration between the irrigation industry, municipalities, university extension and state agencies.

3. Irrigation Association
The Irrigation Association is:
An international organization for both landscape and agricultural irrigators and includes manufacturers, dealers, distributors, designers, consultants, contractors and end users.
Dedicated to promoting best practices and efficient irrigation technologies, products and services.

4. How can you participate in Smart Irrigation Month?
Conduct an irrigation checkup to determine if all equipment is working properly and to check water pressure.
Upgrade nozzles in older sprinkler heads with the new models that reduce evaporation. Nozzles are small and inexpensive components that play a big role in saving water.
Replace spray heads with drip irrigation for flower beds and other non-turf areas. Drip reduces evaporation and puts more water directly at the roots where it is needed most.
Replace old controllers with weather-based smart controllers and install rain/freeze and soil moisture sensors.

6. Simple Irrigation System Checkup
A Simple Irrigation system checkup is:
a process of identifying problems and inefficiencies of irrigation systems that are resulting in water waste.
a visual inspection of the components of an irrigation system.
a way to develop a plan for irrigation system improvements and repairs.
a roadmap for improvements

7. Simple Irrigation System Checkup
A Simple Irrigation System Checkup is not:
a solution for extremely poor irrigation system design.
going to improve a system without follow through from the homeowner.

12. Biggest Mistakes with Residential Irrigation Systems
1) Watering when you don’t need it
- Every other day addiction
2) Lack of maintenance
Yearly visual simple irrigation system checkup
Identify and repair wasteful issues

13. Bermudagrass water needs
Month
Average Bermudagrass ETturf
Average Precipitation
Average Irrigation Need3
inches
April
4.8
3.0
1.8
May
5.4
0.0
June
4.6
0.8
July
6.6
2.9
3.7
August
5.9
2.5
3.4
September
4.3
4.0
0.3
1Average ET from measurements recorded at the Spencer Oklahoma Mesonet site in Oklahoma County from (
2Average historical monthly precipitation for Oklahoma County as reported by the National Weather Service from (
3Average irrigation need assuming all precipitation infiltrated into the soil profile and no water was lost through surface runoff.

14. Fact Sheets

15. Suggested July Run Times – Odd/Even Schedule
Rotors
Full sun bermudagrass: minutes
Full sun fescue: 30 minutes
Shade to part shade fescue: minutes
Pop-up Sprays
Full sun Bermuda: minutes
Full sun annuals and perennials: minutes
Part shade to full shade fescue: 15 minutes
Extreme heat locations:
16 minutes

16. Watering Tips
Best time to water is early morning – between 3:00 am and 10:00 am
Watch for irrigation runoff
Use cycle and soak to limit runoff
Mulch beds to limit evaporation

17. Solving Sprinkler System Problems

18. High Pressure
30 psi is the optimum operating pressure for spray heads. High water pressure is common in municipal water supply service areas.

19. Misting, wind drift and large amount of water waste
High Pressure
Misting, wind drift and large amount of water waste

20. High Water Pressure At 50 psi pattern explodes
Excellent coverage at 30 psi

21. Methods to Regulate Pressure
Brass pressure reducing valve
Pressure regulated sprays and rotors
Pressure regulation at the valve – depends on brand and model

22. Quick Payback System Example 20 pop-up sprays at 75 psi
15 gear-drive rotors at 75 psi
30 week irrigation season, 4 x per week
No pressure regulation – 169,080 gallons
With pressure regulation- 83,280 gallons

23. Quick Payback – Wise Decision
Savings: 85,788 gallons per season
Dollar savings: $300 at $3 per thousand gallons plus wastewater and other fees.
The higher the pressure, the greater the savings.
100 psi systems are common in the OKC metro area.

24. Retrofits and Repairs

25. Retrofit Pressure Regulated Heads

28. Low Water Pressure

29. Reasons for Low Water Pressure
Too many heads on a zone.
Broken pipe or sprinkler head
Undersized pipe
Solutions:
Repair pipe breaks
Replace broken heads and/or nozzles
Retrofit zone with lower-flow nozzles

30. Mix of Sprinkler Types
Rotor heads apply about .50 inches per hour, while pop-up spray heads apply inches or more per hour. This leads to brown spots from too little water and/or significant runoff from overwatering

31. Rotating Spray Nozzles

32. Any Questions