Landscape Management, February 2019

Irrigation Water Management EVERY DROP COUNTS The American Society of Irrigation Consultants An introduction L ast May 20 percent of the U S was experiencing severe to extreme drought That number jumped to 25 percent in June according to the National Climactic Data Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration So how can landscape and irrigation professionals practice good water management and still maintain healthy plant growth The American Society of Irrigation Consultants ASIC seeks to help answer that question ASIC was formed in California in 1970 but the groups headquarters is currently in Royal Oak Mich It is comprised of about 285 members from around the U S According to ASIC recognition that water is a finite resource has put pressure and scrutiny on the landscape irrigation industry Thats why part of the core mission of ASIC is to advocate for the responsible use and preservation of water resources and to create fundamental irrigation design standards improve system efficiencies and eliminate water waste The primary objective of the group according to Executive Director Carol Colein is to promote the efficient use of water for irrigation through education of members on the latest technology and tools for providing the most energy efficient systems possible Irrigation will continue to be under scrutiny by public agencies the organization says and the industry needs to continue to put forward a professional cohesive approach to respond to outside pressures to reduce or eliminate landscape irrigation WHAT IS AN IRRIGATION CONSULTANT An irrigation consultant offers an unbiased opinion to clients so they can decide how they would like to irrigate their property They work independently from contractors manufacturers or distributors Although irrigation consultants typically dont work directly with landscape contractors they are important resources and can be a good source of knowledge for anyone taking on an irrigation LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET FEBRUARY 2019 52 project Irrigation consultants may give their clients such as builders and property owners a list of preferred bidders contractors who have proven they can do a good job and do it on time So it helps contractors to have knowledge of the consultants in their area they could work with It could help land a major irrigation project if an irrigation consultant knows that a company has a reputation for doing good work A consultant would say Here are the products here are the contractors heres what we recommend Colein says It also helps for landscape contractors to keep a finger on the pulse of what new technology or innovations consultants are incorporating into their plans Consultants spend every day trying to design the most efficient and effective irrigation system Colein says So in a lot of ways they drive industry standards Irrigation consultants have been known to start trends in terms of a new product coming out she adds Saying Yes this is great They start specing it and then a year later it seems to be the industry standard So a lot of times theyre on the forefront of trends or the evolution of better design a better system Additionally many members of ASIC are involved in the Net Zero Water concept and work to promote the incorporation of rain catching condensation effluent water and tertiary treated water into irrigation plans Colein says These measures may be adopted by contractors to preserve potable water Additionally the Irrigation Association and ASIC teamed up and developed best management practices for irrigation systems which can be used by landscape contractors who do irrigation installation The three areas the document focuses on are design installation and maintenance and operation of irrigation systems According to Colein its a three legged stool You can have a great design but if its not installed properly youve got nothing she says You can have a great design thats well installed but if its not managed properly youve got nothing You need to have all three pieces of that puzzle and they all need to work together This all plays into the bigger picture of preserving the right to use water to maintain landscapes Colein adds If irrigation systems are properly designed installed and maintained they can produce beautiful green spaces while still conserving an important resource BY CLARA RICHTER LM MANAGING EDITOR Carol Colein MORE TO COME Check back in April for more content from ASIC