Landscape Management, May 2018

profit centers T he landscape industry faces its own water challenges requiring unique solutions that are not always one size fits all In a recent Irrigation Association IA webinar titled Landscapes Water Challenges Solutions from the Experts John Farner IA government and public affairs director and a panel of irrigation experts discussed some of the industrys biggest current and future challenges The panel included Brent Mecham IA industry development director Carlos Michelon water conservation program manager for the San Diego County Water Authority and Brian Vinchesi president of Irrigation Consulting in Pepperell Mass Heres a condensed version of their conversation Q What do you feel is the biggest issue or hurdle facing the landscape irrigation industry today Vinchesi I think its geographic but certainly where I am and in most of the country its regulation We find that regulation of irrigation is becoming more prolific and more strict Surprisingly enough its in the areas that have the most water like New England that the irrigation regulations are the most strict In places with less water like Arizona and Southern California the regulations are less strict Thats because in dry areas like the West irrigation gets a lot more respect than it does in wetter areas Regulation throughout the country is the biggest hurdle we will face now and in the future Michelon From my vantage point to promote water use efficiency there are a few key challenges The first is we tend to relate to irrigation systems only by the mechanical systems that make the water flow but its inextricably linked to the landscape as an interdependent system Theres more to just understanding how the water flows to maximize water use efficiency overall Its understanding things like what plants are appropriate for the climate and design practices Thats why we develop programs like the Sustainable Landscapes Program One of the cornerstones of it is efficient irrigation but it also brings in all of these other factors Another thing that goes with that is workforce development We need resources to prepare the great men and women who manage our landscapes every day Programs like our Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper is a great starting point for basic training for anyone who works with irrigation systems MechaM Sometimes I think we are our own biggest obstacle What I mean by that is things are changing really fast and we have been very slow to respond in many cases One of the challenges I see is theres some great new technology that can enhance water management yet our workforce is slow to adopt it and hasnt fully embraced it or understood how to implement it The consumer is aware of it and the marketplace is actually asking for more of it We also have an outside influence coming in the form of regulators who say landscapes are using a lot of water so we need to draft regulations Sometimes these regulations are stupid because they have a lot of emotion rather than science behind them And once theyre in place they can be hard to change Both of those things are happening at the same time and the industry is really struggling to keep up It comes around to How can we become sustainable in what were doing Thats the request coming from IrrIgatIon Water ManageMent Irrigation experts discuss some of the industrys biggest challenges now and in the future By eMIly Schappacher orbit irrigation study Orbit Irrigation Products released new survey data revealing Americans attitudes toward water consumption The findings show that while most people want to contribute to conservation efforts they often use more water than they realize rain bird control zone Kit Rain Bird introduced its fully assembled 15 inch inline commercial drip control zone kit The kit includes a 15 62 gpm flow rate to cover larger drip zones with fewer components Its engineered to minimize friction loss and preserve water pressure according to the company It also features a 15 inch large capacity screen filter 15 inch PEB globe valve and 15 inch 40 psi pressure regulator newsfeed lanDscaPeManaGeMenT neT MAy 2018 26 Photo istock com bradwieland Continued on page 28 Facing challenges Water rules regulation is one of the major challenges the irrigation industry faces