Smart Irrigation Will Be Required in California in 2012

The legislation passed with broad support from environmental groups, landscape and irrigation interests and local governments, including the Association of California Water Agencies and the Sierra Club. The California Dept. of Water Resources will now develop a model ordinance for local adoption.

The move is expected to be a boon for companies providing irrigation management products, such as “smart” controllers that monitor weather and factor in plant water use and soil evaporation.

Several companies offer site-specific, sensor-based controllers. HydroPoint Data Systems Inc., Petaluma, Calif., offers a national subscription system that adjusts watering at sites around the country by using daily weather updates, customized down to a half-square mile area, transmitted to them wirelessly.

The data considers predicted local temperature, solar radiation, wind and humidity levels, as well as landscaping details provided at installation by the customer. The WeatherTRAK controllers are set up once and then adjusted with wireless input from then on.