When landscaping a home, an
underground irrigation system should be one of the priorities. In a traditional irrigation system, the gardens and yard can be watered using a timer control that can be programmed to water on specific days at a specific time for a specific duration.
With the next generation of irrigation systems, the watering schedule can be controlled over the internet from anywhere in the world. If you are out of town for instance, and the weather patterns change you can login and change the watering cycle and even if you don't, the system is smart enough to do it for you.
These Smart Watering Systems or self-adjusting irrigation systems "integrate current weather data and horticultural science with web–based technology to automate and optimize landscape watering schedules". So, your local weather conditions along with data about soil types, land slope, sun and shade and sprinkler type all play a role in determining the amount of water your landscape receives.
ET Water, based out of California, manufactures this smart controller technology and has won a Green Product award for it's innovation. The system can reduce water bills by 50% in irrigation season. A typical control costs about $500 along with a web service fee ranging from $6 to $16. The technology pays for itself in 3 to 4 years in water savings. Current applications are in high water usage scenarios such as parks and schools.
Source: Article by Donna Birch in the New Home Showcase titled "Computerized smart watering system"
