That’s an enormous amount of what is a valuable natural resource, especially considering the fact that the figure doesn’t even take commercial irrigation into account. In Florida we understand more about how to irrigate landscape effectively in the midst of a variable and sometimes extreme climate than almost anywhere else in the country. If you’re lucky enough to be reading this in Florida then you’ll doubtless be aware of the lush, green and healthy vegetation you can find around virtually every corner, and the simple fact is that this plant life simply wouldn’t be there in its present form if nature was left to its’ own devices. That’s why there’s such a thing as Smart Irrigation Month in Florida, in recognition of the fact that irrigation systems are one thing, but smart controls and integrated systems lift the delivery of irrigation to a whole other level.
Here at Hoover, we specialize in delivering a complete irrigation solution so we know that a smart system, as well as preventing water wastage, also minimizes the cost of irrigation and maximizes the return on investment you’ll enjoy. The benefit of a totally integrated, complete irrigation solution gives you an oversight of what’s going on in the irrigation zones AND at the pump station – two jobs in one and yet another example of irrigation system ROI.
The following are just a few of the factors which mean that smart irrigation saves water and money at the same time as delivering optimum results.
The Complete Package
When it comes to keeping costs down few things have as big an impact as opting to work with a company which offers a one-stop-shop for on-going irrigation support as well as completely integrating the technological and engineering expertise needed to design and install a bespoke system which is perfectly suited to your needs – whether that’s a master community, a golf course or commercial premises. It also means being involved for the long haul, offering the option of long-term warranties and regular servicing and maintenance. Once the system is in place, you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that any problems which do arise can be identified, understood and rectified without any further costs being generated.
Centralized Control
There are lots of technical arguments to be made in favor of a single centralized controller for a larger system, and we’ll look at some of them in due course. Slightly less technical but no less important for most end-users, however, is the fact that a single central control covering a multitude of individual properties generates a much lower up-front capital outlay than having to invest in a separate control for each one of those properties.
In addition to being less expensive to install initially, a single control unit at the heart of a smart irrigation system will pay for itself quickly and many times over due to the sheer weight of data which an advanced system of this kind is able to gather. For example, the Flowguard technology installed by Hoover gathers data constantly on aspects such as water use; the accessibility of this data means it is no longer necessary to pay the cost of arranging a monthly site visit to read meters.
Using Data For Continuous Solution Improvements
At the same time, the most advanced smart irrigation systems combine the collection of data itself with the power of cloud computing to analyze that data and constantly feed back to the wider system to make improvements. This means that the most advanced smart irrigation systems, rather than operating within individual bubbles of data, work as a large-scale network within which the learning generated by individual consumer use is utilized to constantly tweak, update and improve the overall operation of every other system.
Here at Hoover, data in the “Hoover Cloud” provides real insights about how each customer is using their system; this creates the ability to deliver a solution based on what gives results, makes sense and helps our customers use their irrigation system successfully. Not only that, where clients want us to, we can apply our knowledge and insights to provide one-to-one support and advice - or monitor and manage the irrigation operation for them.
Why Would You Choose to Lose the Power of Data?
When a system is non-integrated the power of all this data is lost and the responsibility rests with the end-user to monitor the operation of the system and try and spot whether it’s operating as it should. Without the data being collected in the first place, of course, monitoring of this kind becomes much more difficult, and problems can become entrenched and costly before the customer is even aware of them. An integrated system, rather than being a simple on-off product, is a constantly evolving and improving method of delivering irrigation.
Lower Maintenance Bills
The details of data analytics don’t just deliver in terms of a long term, integrated strategy, they also help to drastically cut maintenance costs for each individual user. The reason is that issues and problems are flagged up by the technology days, weeks or even months before the impact would become apparent via manual inspection. A small leak, for example, could be flagged via a drop in water pressure or an increase in the amount of water pumping through the system, rather than remaining hidden until a much higher quarterly water usage bill arrives.
Fewer Onsite Staff, Early Intervention, Fewer Wet Checks and Avoid Callout Costs
Smart control of irrigation means that it can be managed remotely without constant, hands-on attention. Rather than on-site maintenance workers having to chase down possible faults through manual investigation, the system takes care of itself, and any variations in the irrigation schedule which are needed can be implemented via the digital controls.
Smart technology, centralized control and remote irrigation management mean far fewer on-site staff. No more insufficient wet checks, chasing unknown causes of symptoms (or simply ignoring the problem) or seasonal re-setting of the irrigation schedule.
A major leak in the field with water gushing down the road in the middle of the night? Simply log on and click ‘Close’. This feature is, for the most part, unique to only the very best, complete irrigation solutions (like Hoover's Flowguard®). But you should be thinking about features like this if you don’t yet have them. This is a state-of-the-art solution that allows for early intervention when there's a potential disaster on the horizon. Avoiding out-of-hours call-outs and heavy repair costs all adds up to money spent wisely and well.
Here’s an example scenario. On your Flowguard screen, you have a live view of your pump station and what it’s doing. You can see you’re running 16 gallons a minute, in other words, trickling water to the field, but - you have a dual-25hp pump station that’s capable of 650-750 gallons per minute. This could be a field leak, but it’s still not good practice to run that low volume of water – especially when you have contaminants in the water that will precipitate to the bottom of the mainline and eventually get down to the end of the sprinkler heads and clog them – resulting in more field maintenance needs. Without this visibility you could be pumping at this rate for countless days or weeks before you figure out something might be wrong – meantime, a potentially hefty maintenance and repair bill is looming.
Real-time, actionable data means repairs are carried out in a timely fashion so you’ll avoid excessive water loss or damage (and therefore cost) due to undiscovered faults. Day-to-day, intelligent irrigation systems with 24-hour monitoring and reporting can highlight issues and aid the decision-making process, saving time and money.
Irrigation Solutions Must Evolve Continuously so You Save Money
The savings which are driven by a smart, integrated irrigation system multiply as the size of that system grows. From a single householder or a residential development all the way up to a large-scale commercial concern such as a golf course, sports complex, office block or shopping mall, the more points of irrigation there are, the more money can be saved, and less water wasted - by installing a system which maximises efficiency, adaptability and control.
