If efficiently irrigating your landscape is a constant challenge, you are not alone. There are just a few main components that make up a healthy irrigation system – high-efficiency nozzles, drip irrigation systems, a smart controller and a pressure regulator. The key is to get them all working together to help save you time and money while giving you a landscape you can be proud of.

Let’s look at each component, one by one:

  1. Upgrade your outdated sprinklers to high-efficiency nozzles for ground cover plants. It will help limit runoff, provide more even coverage and reduce evaporation.
  1. Use drip irrigation for individual plants with open space between them, such as shrubs and trees. This applies water very slowly – typically 1 to 2 gallons per hour – and exactly where the water needs to be. Be sure your drip system has a pressure regulator to prevent blowing out the nozzles, as well as a filter to prevent clogging.

Now let’s talk about how to manage those two different systems together.

Yes, it can be done, with a smart irrigation controller. The controller adjusts watering times based on your plants’ needs, landscape conditions, and real-time weather. You can manage your entire irrigation system (spray and drip – as long as they’re on separate zones) in one place! Current models are smartphone compatible and allow you to manage your watering schedule from anywhere.

Irrigation System Diagram (concentric circles). Outter-most circle - Pressure Regulator. Inner circle - smart irrigation controller. Inside circle: Irrigation components, which include two smaller circles inside for (1) high-efficiency nozzles and (2) drip irrigation.

Lastly, to keep your whole irrigation system working properly, you’ll want to install a pressure regulator on your irrigation mainline. This will help each component of your irrigation system put out the proper amount of water.

Plan ahead! It is important that high-efficiency nozzle and drip irrigation components are on separate hydrozones – i.e. your ground cover is on its own zone and separates from your plants and trees. High-efficiency nozzles may only need to run a few minutes, while your drip irrigation may run for an hour or more. You don’t want to get those zones reversed or mixed together!

Like all types of irrigation, you do need to maintain your high efficient nozzles and drip irrigation system and make sure to remove clogs and check for breaks on a regular basis.

To learn about irrigation program rebates, visit conserve.yourSCVwater.com
and get details about our HELP (Healthy and Efficient Landscapes) Program.