In Sarasota County, Fla., a private security firm polices the streets to boost enforcement of one-day-a-week watering restrictions. In Las Vegas, the water management district limits the amount of turf permitted to be installed at new properties and rebates property owners up to $2 per square foot to convert turf to xeriscape. In San Antonio, the Express-News reports the level of the Edwards Aquifer on a daily basis. All the while landscape watering restrictions are virtually nonexistent in other parts of the country. It’s this variation in supply and the regional nature of how water is distributed and regulated that complicate efforts to get out the message about the importance of water conservation.
Irrigation and landscape contractors, quite obviously stakeholders in the future of the nation’s water supply, face a variety of regional challenges when it comes to incorporating smart irrigation practices and products into their businesses. Depending on the region, clients have varying degrees of awareness about the need for water conservation and the practices and technology available to help them save both water and money.
What works in one location might not work elsewhere. Likewise, what’s necessary in one city isn’t necessary in another. Here’s a look at contractors in the West, Southeast and Northeast/Midwest and their approaches to efficient irrigation.
West Regional Report
The Western U.S. leads the way when it comes to the application of irrigation innovations. For the most part, states in this region face the most critical water shortages and the fastest-growing populations, making discretionary use of water a very hot topic. Contractors say water management districts have done a good job putting this issue into the spotlight, which ideally prompts the public to increasingly adopt efficient irrigation practices and products.
“The concern for water use has finally gained traction in the marketplace at large,” says John Ossa, president of Gardeners’ Guild, San Rafael, Calif.
Dan Andrus, president of All American Landscape in La Crescenta, Calif., agrees. “People are becoming more aware,” he says. “I get more calls every week from people that want to modify their existing system.” Andrus credits some of the interest to his advertisements, in which he promotes “water conservation” and free sprinkler analyses; however, he says a lot of awareness has to do with water purveyors’ promotions.
“The water districts are all sending out water conservation fliers with their bills,” Andrus says. “For years they were just pushing the low-flush toilets and shower heads, but people are finally realizing that they can conserve so much water outside.”
Further publicity for smart irrigation has come over the years through controller rebate programs and other incentives. In recent years in the West, however, new restrictions aren’t a driving factor like they have become in the Southeast. Less than 50 percent of contractors in the West reported an increase in water restrictions over the last two years, according to Lawn & Landscape research. As Robert Glennon, a University of Arizona professor of law and public policy, pointed out at an irrigation industry conservation symposium last year, many communities in the West like Tucson, Ariz., and Albuquerque, N.M., have already picked the “low-hanging fruit” and made substantial progress by targeting obvious waste. To encourage further water savings, Glennon – and many other conservationists – advocate water pricing structures that encourage conservation. Glennon says more than half of water purveyors in California use a flat-rate or declining lock-rate water pricing structure, which do nothing to encourage conservation. He urges change, ideally to inverted block-rate structures that target the heaviest users and require them to pay more for their excessive use.
Over the last few years there has been a renewed effort in California to move conservation pricing back to the forefront, according to a July 2006 report in California Economic Policy. These include measures by the state’s Landscape Task Force, which developed new conservation pricing guidelines, and the state legislature, which has passed measures requiring utilities to install meters and begin using them for billing by 2010.
No doubt due to need, consumers’ perceptions of the benefits of irrigation systems are the greatest in the West, Lawn & Landscape research shows (see charts above).
In the West, contractors report 46 percent of their homeowner customers consider irrigation systems to be essential and 69 percent of commercial customers believe so.
These numbers top those reported by contractors in the Northeast/Midwest (homeowners: 12 percent; property managers: 26 percent) and the Southeast (homeowners: 27 percent and property managers: 45 percent).
Further good news is many contractors in the region are using water-conserving irrigation components. With the exception of smart controllers, (with reported use rates about even in all regions – 52 percent on the low end in the Northeast/Midwest, 59 percent in the West and 60 percent in the Southeast) the West leads the way in the use of pressure regulators (89 percent), rain shut-off devices (80 percent), check valves (87 percent) and drip/low-volume irrigation (91 percent). (See “How Popular Are Smart Products?” on page S17.)
But just because awareness in the region is ahead of the curve doesn’t mean communicating the message of smart irrigation is challenge-free.
The major difficulty, Ossa says, is communicating technology’s capabilities. He says contractors have to be careful when shaping customers’ expectations. One example is the use of smart controllers. This is a major area of opportunity for contractors due to widespread controller rebate programs and an increase in ordinances that require newly installed controllers to be “smart” – like the one that Frisco, Texas, passed last year.
“Most people tend to look at the controllers as a silver bullet,” Ossa says. “They think all of their problems will go away. No technology will do that.” In fact, Ossa says, it’s not uncommon for customers to install smart controllers and after a while see some brown grass. “It’s not the result of the new product – it’s the result of an inefficient system,” Ossa says, explaining that the high-tech controllers point out further existing problems with the irrigation distribution systems.
Andrus says a system analysis should precede the installation of a smart controller. His company offers free analyses and in addition to making suggestions to improve the distribution systems, Andrus recommends customers upgrade to smart controllers if their systems still run on timers.
Similarly, Gardeners’ Guild positions delivery-system analyses as part of the sale of an ET-based controller.
“It’s foolish to create or allow a perception to develop that this new controller is the only thing you have to do to your system,” Ossa says.
He promotes other water-conservation components for optimum efficiency, including pressure regulation (both at the valve and nozzle level), check valves (or “anything that prevents low-head drainage”), and low-volume/drip application where appropriate.
“There’s a whole menu of things that offer the potential for efficient irrigation,” Ossa says.
In addition to installing pressure regulators, check valves and drip irrigation where applicable, Andrus installs and retrofits irrigation systems with fertigation systems because “healthier plants use less water.”
The cost for an installed residential fertigation system is about $750, and Andrus has been installing them for about two years. They fit into his short but sweet smart irrigation philosophy: “Use common sense and try to help people save water.”
A Look at the Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is different from much of the West where sprinkler systems are the only form of water plants will see during dry seasons. Components like rain sensors are commonplace; however, Neil Hedman, owner/general manager of Olympic Landscape and Irrigation Co. in Fife, Wash., says he hasn’t met demand for high-tech water conservation products like smart controllers. Here, like in the Midwest and Northeast, irrigation systems are meant to supplement the relatively frequent natural rainfall. As a result, water restrictions aren’t widespread and customers aren’t “overly aware” of their landscape water use, Hedman says. “Until they’re hurt somehow, they’re not going to be aware of it.”
It’s the irrigation professional’s duty to ensure run-off is avoided and homeowners systems are in working order so they don’t try to compensate with additional watering, Hedman says. “When people think of smart irrigation, they might be thinking of drip and xeriscape. But the main thing I believe in is the uniformity and a design that accounts for the landscape plant material and its growth habits.”
He adds: “If we can get an even coverage so there’s no wasted water, we’ve accomplished our goal.”
Southeast Regional Report
This spring, with wildfires engulfing bone-dry forests and swamplands in Georgia and Florida, it’s nearly impossible for residents to ignore the extreme impact that drought can have on a region. As black smoke billows into the air, cities and states step up their outdoor watering restrictions.
About 58 percent of contractors in the Southeast reported new water restrictions in the last two years, according to Lawn & Landscape research. That’s about 10 percent higher than the national figure. And it’s taking a toll on green industry businesses in some areas.
New restrictions can create confused customers who are unsure of irrigation rules. This misinformation may cause them to hesitate to install new landscaping for fear they won’t be allowed to water it, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported in May. For example Atlanta-area restrictions allow new landscaping installed by a professional to be watered for 30 days after installation, but many homeowners aren’t aware of this policy.
This information gap is a challenge to green industry members in water-sensitive regions like the Southeast. Exacerbating the problem is lack of consumer understanding of the benefits of an efficient irrigation system and the capability of the technology on the market today. In the Southeast, just 27 percent of contractors report that homeowners consider irrigation systems essential and 45 percent report commercial property managers say the same (see “Irrigation System Perception in the Southeast” on page S13).
“The biggest challenge we face is still an uneducated customer base in terms of water conservation overall,” says Tom Super, president of Nature’s Blueprint in Alva, Fla. “People understand they need to conserve water, but I don’t think they understand truly how much their irrigation system uses.
“That falls back on the contractor,” Super says.
Clearly, there’s an opportunity for both consumers and contractors to broaden their knowledge of smart irrigation products and practices. The majority of contractors in the Southeast report they’re using smart controllers, pressure regulators, rain shut-off devices, check valves and drip irrigation (see chart on page S17). But having installed a smart product doesn’t make a smart contractor.
“When most people think of smart irrigation, they automatically focus on the product,” Super says. “I really think smart irrigation begins with design.” True separation of turf and shrub areas and ensuring matched precipitation are just two examples he gives.
About 90 percent of homes in Florida are built with irrigation systems, estimates Steve LaSenna, senior project manager for Dobson’s Woods & Water in Ocoee, Fla. About one-third of customers are aware that there are “smart,” water-conserving products on the market, LaSenna says, and about 20 percent of those are willing to take advantage of them, mainly for the purpose of saving money on their water bills or to protect their landscape investment.
The No. 1 smart component Dobson’s promotes is drip irrigation. “I deal with a couple different water managers to try to help promote drip irrigation,” LaSenna says. “If you expose water to less sunlight, you have less evaporation.” His firm also installs water-saving features whenever specified by landscape architects or mandated by ordinances.
Those mandates are getting tougher, LaSenna and others in the region say; however, they also may be slightly boosting business. Southeast contractors report about 12 percent of upgrades, replacements and new installation sales are a result of increased water use restrictions over the past two years – both on the residential and commercial sides of the business. Steve Nichols, marketing manager for Habersham Gardens in Atlanta, says restrictions can create short-term increases in maintenance business, too, as customers request more service visits for timer adjustments.
One common regulation Super sees in South Florida is the “50/50 rule,” which says half of the lawn may be irrigated traditionally, but half must be irrigated with low-volume products or not irrigated at all.
Nature’s Blueprint sells its residential irrigation services in three different packages – bronze, gold and platinum. His most popular is the second level, which is about 40 percent more expensive than the standard package, but includes drip irrigation. About 60 percent of homeowners go with this choice. About 5 percent of homeowners upgrade to the best system, which includes drip, pressure-regulating sprayheads and the use of flow sensors. This package is abut two and a half times the cost of a standard system.
Whether an ordinance requires it or not, Super quotes all clients an upgrade to low-volume and water-saving components. He says: “While there’s a lot of responsibility on the government and municipal entities to promote water conservation, the industry must police itself and act as good stewards to guarantee that we all have a future in this business.”
Northeast/Midwest Regional Report
A look at the National Drought Mitigation Center’s long-term drought indicator is a good reflection of why the Northeast/Midwest regions lag in the adoption of smart irrigation practices (see map on page S7). There’s little red or brown, a few yellow areas and a breadth of white and green, indicating water is abundant for the most part.
“Water is still relatively inexpensive here,” says John Newlin, owner of Quality Sprinkling Systems in North Ridgeville, Ohio. “Municipalities aren’t in the situation like they are in Las Vegas where they’re paying people to get rid of turf. Consumers feel an overall sense that water is a natural resource and it’s an expense they can control, but unless there’s a dire drought, municipalities don’t care.”
But just because there isn’t the threat of drought, doesn’t mean water will always flow freely from the taps. Even under non-drought conditions, 36 states anticipate local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013, according to a Government Accountability Office survey of water managers. About 36 percent of contractors in the Northeast/Midwest region say they’ve seen an increase water use restrictions in their markets over the last two years, according to Lawn & Landscape research. “There have been times here that we’ve had water restrictions,” says T.C. Kim, owner of Quality Landscape Irrigation in Kansas City, Kan. “They’re not enforced, but people understand it’s an important part of their personal responsibility.”
While most contractors say these measures have not affected the way they’ve done business, the average contractor has seen about a 10 percent increase in upgrade, replacement or new installation sales as a result of these restrictions.
Research shows Northeast and Midwest contractors are using or familiarizing themselves with smart irrigation products. More than half indicate they use smart controllers, 73 percent use pressure regulators and about eight in 10 are using rain shut-off devices, check valves and drip or low-volume practices. (See “How Popular Are Smart Products” on page S17.)
Newlin frequently installs check valves and rain sensors, occasionally installs drip systems and is in his second year of selling ET controllers. In addition to a few commercial ET controller sales, including a major local greenhouse operation, Newlin upgraded several residential clients to smart controllers last year. “We’re fine tuning them and we really like what we’re seeing,” he says. This spring he marketed the ET controllers by including a flier about them in his customer statements. He’s had interest from one person – an engineer from NASA. “In this market, there’s a certain clientele that’s going to buy this product,” Newlin says, noting a few other groups where he sees opportunity: second-home owners and commercial properties that are sensitive to water costs, like universities.
In regions where water conservation is low on consumers’ radar screens, finding the right clientele for these products is half the battle. Then, it’s all in how you sell it, Kim says.
Kim has found a way to market an upgraded water-saver system to his customers, most of whom aren’t as conservation-savvy as customers may be in the West or the South. “I’d say conservation isn’t at the forefront of a person’s mind as far as their civic duty to save a finite resource like water, but it’s certainly an important factor that people take into consideration.”
Kim originally created a water-saver package to differentiate his company from the competition. “It’s hard to keep outpacing your competition and keep bumping your prices up,” he says. “You get to the point where it’s hard to create a differentiation, especially when you’ve got the same literature and brochures that four other guys are offering.”
Last year Kim instituted the water-saver system, which includes an ET controller plus the use of multi-trajectory rotating sprinklers at a $750 premium to the standard system. “This combination has worked out to be a great tool for us both from a quality and customer receptivity standpoint,” he says.
One part of his sales approach is to translate the smart system to savings potential for his clients. Kim knows the average homeowner in Johnson County, Kan., spends $1,300 to $1,400 a year on water for a standard residential sprinkler system. Because his water-saver package typically saves customers 30 to 50 percent on their water bills, Kim promotes the fact that homeowners will see a return on investment for the more expensive water-saver system in a few years. “The big thing I tell them is if you plan to stay in your house for more than three years, it’s like buying a high-efficiency furnace or air conditioner,” Kim says. That pitch is working. In 2006 about a quarter of all the residential systems Kim sold were the water-saver package. So far this year, about 90 percent of customers have purchased this system, averaging about $4,200 per installation. “The only ones we’ve installed that aren’t this system have been homeowners who’ve gone through builders and we’ve never gotten to meet with them,” Kim says.
When installation and repair season slows down, Kim plans to market an ET controller upgrade to all customers for about $500 installed. He expects this offering, which would take about an hour to complete, to be popular and profitable. “This is something that can realistically be offered at any system we’ve installed.”
