In celebration of July’s Smart Irrigation Month, we’re sharing how smart irrigation and efficient irrigation practices are beneficial for all. This technology doesn’t just make life easier and plants healthier for landscape maintenance companies and water managers — it has a positive impact on people, organizations, and communities across allindustries and regions. Using smart irrigation boosts the health of community green spaces, protects the functionality and livability of our cities, conserves a significant amount of water, and so much more.
Sponsored by HydroPoint, The Irrigation Association’s Smart Irrigation Month is a reminder of the positive impact smart irrigation has on our society, economic, and the environment.
- Social — Through smart and efficient irrigation, the irrigation industry helps nurture thriving green spaces and green infrastructure. Green spaces have been proven to have positive social and mental effects, such as boosting people’s moods, lowering stress levels, and even improving focus in children. They also provide community spaces in urban cities and increase residents’ social engagement and physical activity.
A great example of a community green space using smart irrigation to thrive is Brooklyn Grange — two large rooftop farms in the center of Manhattan. Not only does this green infrastructure prevent millions of gallons of stormwater from entering the sewer system, but it also engages the community with positive conversations about sustainability and wellness. Brooklyn Grange promotes community involvement by hosting events where people can connect and become a part of a positive movement. - Economic — The irrigation industry contributes over $23 billion annually to the U.S. economy and enables businesses to thrive. The Tallyn’s Reach Authority uses smart irrigation to prevent water waste in the face of rising water costs and water use restrictions, saving them $300,000 annually. Water cost savings aren’t the only ways communities and businesses save money with smart irrigation — it also prevents them from having to frequently replace landscaping and hardscaping due to overwatering damage. Using smart irrigation also helps operations run more smoothy and minimizes risks and liabilities, all of which contribute to less disruptions to businesses and less unnecessary spending.
Harvest Landscape Enterprises is a landscape management company that always recommends smart controllers to their clients — not just for water savings, but also for labor and time savings that ultimately help them better serve their clients and their client’s properties. Using smart irrigation controllers is so beneficial that Harvest sells them at no profit and installs them for free, because ultimately, the efficiency of the controllers saves them an immeasurable amount of time and money.
- Environmental — Smart irrigation eliminates overwatering and the associated water waste, by delivering only the exact amount of water needed to landscapes at the exact right time. But conserving water isn’t the only way that smart irrigation has a positive impact on the environment. What many people aren’t aware of is the significant amount of carbon embedded in our water infrastructure and that reducing our water use reduces our carbon footprint.
Lowe’s is a great example of a company experiencing reduced carbon emissions through their efforts to eliminate water waste. By rolling out smart irrigation systems to nearly 1,000 of their retail facilities, they have seen annual water savings of 650 million gallons of water and an annual downstream GHG savings of about 750 metric tons CO2e, comparable to over 84,000 gallons of gasoline. Think of the collective impact it could have, not just on water conservation but on global carbon footprint if every business implemented smart irrigation and efficient irrigation practices!
We’re thrilled to be celebrating Smart Irrigation Month with the Irrigation Association and everyone else in the irrigation industry who is doing this important work. Let’s all keep spreading the word about the positive impact efficient irrigation has not just on water conservation — but on the future of our lives and communities.
