IRRIGATION Crone says he recalls a time several years ago when
the city gave rebates for smart controllers. Should that happen again, he says his team will reach out to existing customers to promote the offer. While irrigation technology is evolving and is
While Wichita isn’t currently facing water restrictions, more municipalities are implementing requirements for licensing and certification. Photo left: The Grounds Guys
“It’s going to require a little more of your attention to
make sure those things are working in harmony than it would have five or 10 years ago,” he says. “It’s a lot more than running your sprinkler every day. We are having to adapt.” While the conditions of brown, unsightly grass,
RetrofiTing existing iRigation systems with modern technology and instaLing new, smarter and more technologicaLy advanced systems are key ways of fiLing the gap betwEn a lack of rainfaL and maintaining a grEn yard.
drooping plant material and cracked, dusty earth that a drought can create are inconvenient and unwelcome, Baker says there is a bright side, especially as people around the world begin to realize that water is not an endless commodity. “I would say it is transforming our industry through
necessity,” he says. “Our industry is becoming smarter, better, more regulated and more licensed due to drought conditions, forcing our industry to up our game to the next level. We are going through a transformational pe- riod. Te drought has kind of highlighted that we are lagging behind. Responsible usage is coming to the homeowner’s front door, and it can be a good thing.”
Overcoming chaLenges
While there are currently no water restrictions in place in Wichita, Baker says he’s noticed that more and more municipalities are implementing licensing and regulato- ry requirements for contractors to ensure that the most qualified professionals are working on irrigation systems. “Tere is getting to be more regulation when it comes to irrigation systems connected to the municipal water supply to ensure that licensed irrigators are the ones who are touching the sprinkler system,” he says. “Tere is more licensing and more regulation from city governments as they’re realizing that water is not an endless resource. As the resource becomes more scarce, the barrier to entry goes up to make sure people are get- ting the best results.”
18 Irrigation & Lighting June 2023
well-suited to keeping lawns green and healthy, even in times of drought, irrigation contractors still face resis- tance as they speak with clients about system enhance- ments and upgrades. “It is sometimes challenging to convince homeown- ers that they will see a return on their investment if they update their sprinkler system to be more efficient and use less water even if they don’t switch to a warm sea- son or lower water use turf or change their landscaping,” Brown says. “I think in 10 or 20 years, or maybe sooner, we will look at water differently as it becomes a more precious resource such as what you hear about in Cali- fornia. But there are a lot of easy and inexpensive ways to drastically cut down what we are using now without changing much. I think it starts with educating con- sumers to the fact that you can have beautiful yards and landscaping using less water. Sometimes change is scary but sometimes that is where our best ideas come from.” Fescue grass, which is not native to Kansas, is a pop- ular choice in Wichita, and maintaining its green and healthy appearance demands a significant amount of irrigation and chemical applications. In addition to ed- ucating customers about smart watering, Brown says he shares alternative ideas with customers who are looking to conserve water while maintaining a green yard. “Some are opting for a warm season grass such as
Buffalo, but many of the HOAs around here have fes- cue as a requirement in their covenants,” he says. “I have seen that start to change as I have completed landscape projects in neighborhoods that have buffalo or Bermuda grass as well as native grass and native grass/wildflower mix. We have even installed more artificial turf in the last year than ever before. Artificial turf has come a long way in the last few years from looking like AstroTurf or a sports field to a taller grass with dead thatch and a more natural look.” Should the drought continue in Wichita, water re-
strictions are a possibility in the future. Tat’s another consideration for irrigation professionals as they work to service their book of business. “If we go on water restrictions, there will be a lot of customers who will want us to come out and set their controllers accordingly,” Crone says. “I would imagine we would have to make on-site visits again for the ma- jority of our customers, which would be an extra service.” In the worst-case scenario, Wichita residents could
stop watering as the drought continues. “Tere’s always the risk that people stop watering, and that would not bode well for our business or for any other irrigation business,” Crone says. “We want to con- tinue to educate our customers. Even if we do go on wa- ter restrictions, with the right scheduling and efficient watering, we can try to save as many lawns as we can.”
Lauren Sable Freiman is a freelance writer based in Cleveland and can be reached at
laurensable@gmail.com.
irrigationandlighting.org
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