(UPDATE 8/21/2016) StarTribune report Study seeks best ways to curb surge in summer watering.

It doesn’t make sense to water the lawn during a rainstorm. And common sense tells us that sprinkling the lawn in the morning after an overnight storm is… well dumb and wasteful. If you water your lawn with a hose you probably know that. But, if you have an in-ground automatic irrigation system – does the system know that?

Smart Irrigation Controller

Homes and businesses use three times the water in the summer as winter – to keep lawns green. The University of Minnesota Extension Service – Lawns and Turfgrass Management Program has determined that water is often wasted on lawns. However, by understanding your grass plant, and sprinkling efficiently, you can conserve water and develop grass that is healthy and resistant to diseases and drought.

Many irrigation systems are controlled by a timer. A timed system will irrigate lawn and bushes whether it needs it or not. If the turf is overwatered it will runoff onto sidewalks, into street gutters and down storm sewers, wasted water.

Smart Irrigation.  Minnesota Law requires that all automatic operated irrigation systems have a controller that does not irrigate during rain or when the lawn has enough water.  Programmed and properly operating Smart Irrigation makes sense for the homeowners and property owners that want a great property, vibrant community and sustained local water resources.

WaterSense (an EPA partnership program) seeks to protect the future of our water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products and services. WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers, act like a thermostat for your sprinkler system telling it when to turn on and off, use local weather and landscape conditions to tailor watering schedules to actual conditions on your property. Smart Irrigation controllers allow watering schedules to better match plants’ water needs. With proper installation, programming, and maintenance, Smart Irrigation controllers and systems irrigate turf and landscape efficiently while using local water resources in a sustainable way.

The Irrigation Association is a national organization of irrigation companies and professionals that are dedicate to efficient irrigation and to long-term sustainability of water resources for future generations.

To see if your irrigation system is smart enough to meet Minnesota’s standards and is programmed properly to use water in a sustainable way, contact your local irrigation or landscape professional.

Over-watering can cause Yellow Nutsedge (noxious weed)  to replace Kentucky Blue Grass.