Weather-Based
                                     Landscape  Irrigation
                                                 Controllers
                                                                 EPA
                                                                 Water Sense
        t esidential outdoor water use in the United
      r^ States accounts for more than 7 billion gallons
        \ofwater each day, mainly for landscape irriga-
     tion. Experts estimate that as much as half of this
     water is wasted due to overwatering caused by
     inefficiencies in irrigation methods and systems.

     Cutting-edge irrigation control technologies can
     significantly reduce overwatering by applying water
     only when plants need it. WaterSense®, a partner-
     ship program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental
     Protection Agency (EPA), will help consumers and
     facilities identify weather-based irrigation con-
     trollers that can reduce water use in landscapes.

     Weather-based irriga-
     tion controllers use local
     weather and landscape
     conditions to tailor irri-
     gation schedules to
     actual conditions on the
     site. Instead of irrigating
     on a preset schedule set
     by a clock timer controller, weather-based controllers
     allow irrigation to more closely match plants'water
     requirements. By using weather-based controllers
     instead of standard clock timer controllers, home-
     owners, businesses, and organizations would no
     longer need to worry about sprinklers automatically
     operating when landscapes don't need water.

     End  Overwatering
     Many homeowners and facility managers set their
     irrigation systems to water according to the hottest,
     driest month of the year, usually July. Throughout the
     year, the schedule is left untouched, resulting in a
     system that applies the same amount of water to the
     landscape in the winter as in the summer. This leads
     to periods of extreme overwatering.
                             By using a scheduling system that tracks weather
                             and landscape conditions and irrigates accordingly,
                             weather-based irrigation controllers can reduce
                             water use by 20 percent compared to systems with
                             standard clock timer controllers. If every home with
                             an irrigation system made this switch, it could save
                             150 billion gallons of water per year across the
                             United States. Commercial and institutional facility
                             irrigation systems could help save even more water
                             across the country.

                             Performance Is Key
                             All WaterSense labeled  products
                             must be independently certified
                             to ensure they meet EPA's water-
                             efficiency and performance
                             criteria. EPA worked with a variety of
                             stakeholders to develop criteria and performance
                             measures for weather-based irrigation controllers,
                             based on the industry's Smart Water Application
                             Technologies™ protocol for climatologically based
                             controllers.

                             The WaterSense Revised Draft Specification for
                             Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers includes supple-
                             mentary features, such  as multiple programming
                             capabilities, that controllers  must have in order to
                             receive the label. In the future, weather-based irriga-
                             tion controllers that earn the WaterSense label must
                             demonstrate that they meet the watering needs of a
                             typical landscape, while not overwatering.

                             Whether you are replacing an older, standard
                             clock timer controller or looking for options to
                             reduce water use and utility bills from your irriga-
                             tion system, the WaterSense label will soon be able
                             to help you identify weather-based irrigation
                             controller models  that  are high-performing and
                             water-efficient. For more information, visit
                             www.epa.gov/watersense.
January 2011
(866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) • www.epa.gov/watersense • watersense@epa.gov
Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper.
                                                                                            EPA-832-F-11-001

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