Smart Irrigation Controllers: Save Money and Water the Easy Way

What are Smart Irrigation Controllers?

A Smart Controller replaces your “dumb” controller with one that accesses the latest weather forecast along with actual weather data within a half mile of your house and adjusts watering accordingly. It saves money and water by not over-watering, because it knows exactly how much it rained, and when and how much rain is in the forecast!

Why Should I Change to a Smart Controller?

Whether you use drinking water or well water for irrigation, a Smart Controller uses this resource responsibly. For shallow wells, it extends pump life, uses less electricity, reduces fertilizer runoff, and may reduce rust stains, too. For those using drinking/potable water, it significantly reduces water bills. Most people save 45 to 50 percent!

How Do Smart Controllers Work?

Over the past year, Skidaway Audubon has purchased and installed a matrix of Personal Weather Stations throughout the island. Now, everyone in The Landings is within a half mile of a station that gives them hyper-local, accurate weather information that their Smart Controller uses in its decision making. The controller begins by receiving the weather forecast about an hour before a scheduled run time (e.g., before sunrise). It decides whether to water or skip (based on your chosen rainfall settings). If it doesn’t rain, it knows that too, and makes up for it at the next scheduled time. Pretty nifty, right?

The controller keeps you informed via your smartphone, so you always can check on its performance and run the system manually if you wish. You can choose a variety of settings, including types of plants, soil, sun or shade, etc. In addition to rainfall, the controller has access to temperature, humidity, solar conditions (cloudy or bright), and the season and uses all this to adjust watering automatically. Plus, you can control it from anywhere -- walking around your yard, or on vacation at the beach!

How Do I Get One?

Two things are important for smart controller operation. First, you need to have a good Wi-Fi signal at your controller (garage or outside). If you don’t have great Wi-Fi, there are inexpensive Wi-Fi extenders you can use. Second, it should be connected to a known, reliable, nearby weather station. A list of these stations on the island is available on our website (LandingsWeather.com).

If you already have a Smart Controller, PLEASE make sure that it is getting data from an on-island source and not just a local airport like Hunter Army Airfield or Savannah/Hilton Head Airport (ask the installer). Pilot studies have shown major differences in rainfall across the island, let alone compared to off island.

You now can purchase a Rachio Smart Controller at The Landings Association’s Administration Building (600 Landings Way) or Landings Harbor Marina (1 Priest Landing Drive), at a 20% discount. There are two models – 8 or 16 zones for $180 or $200 (plus tax).

Installation usually is easy, and you can get more information at LandingsWeather.com. There, you will find a list of manufacturers, installation, and support contact information. We will be holding a number of Smart Controller workshops this summer to answer your questions and to help with the “How Tos”.

This is information is courtesy of the Mal Welch Water Wise project, sponsored by Skidaway Audubon, in partnership with the Strategic Water Committee of The Landings Association. “Be a part of something good!”

   Shown left to right are a few smart controllers -- Hunter Hydra Wise, Orbit B-Hyve, and Rachio Pro.

Shown at left are some Audubon-sponsored weather stations.