Phone: Lake Mary Office (407) 341-3449 | Sanford Office (407) 430-6195

Irrigation Management FAQ’s

Question 1.

How do I know if I need a water manager?

Answer:

Most sites that are in the medium to large commercial category are prime candidates for a professional water manager. The role of water management is almost always given to the same crew that mows the lawns, and does not have the skills or training to effectively save money for the clients. See the telltale signs of good water management below.

commercial irrigation management Seminole County Florida
commercial-irrigation-management-Seminole-County-Florida

Question 2.

How do I know if my assigned “Water Manager” from my landscape company is qualified to manage my site?

Answer:

All water managers should have a skill set that includes I.A. Certified Water Auditor, commercial maintenance experience in all aspects (Ideally someone who has done everything from mowing and blowing to landscape enhancement, and commercial sprinkler repair in Florida. Plant ID, and experience with pest control are also a must.

Question 3.

How do I know if I will save money with a water manager?

Answer:

The sites that benefit the most from professional water management are usually sites that have over twelve hydrozones, steep hillsides, new installation, or plant material. Some sites benefit just because their water districts have severe penalties for going over you allotment. There are many things that are water related, that causes major problems in landscapes, including but not limited to weeds, plant diseases, tree loss, turf fungus and pests.

Question 4.

How do I know if my contractor has bid the proper time into the job to manage water professionally?

Answer:

MOST companies that are working on your sites consider the irrigation a set and go type function. If when they are on site and they find something stressing or flooded they will turn on that valve, and look into it. The professional water manager is more of a proactive role that requires a”once a month “run through of all systems to verify that they are adjusted correctly, and that the run times are proportionate to the current ETO. Be aware of contractors who tell you that “2%” of maintenance time is dedicated to water management. This in essence verifies that mow crews are managing your water and an Irrigation tech is “tuning up” your systems before start up and will not be back until there is a problem.

Question 5.

Where can I find Information on good water practices that I can use to help me determine if my current company is providing me professional water management?

Answer:

There will always be links and articles posted right here on this
sit, but if you look in the links section it will guide you to the sites that
the pro’s use. I will update the links regularly.

Question 6.

What would I save paying for a professional water manager?

Answer:

The money that you will save in plant mortality, spraying for
disease, and pests, can in most cases is reduced by 45%. The water savings in most cases are 30% – 50%. If these monies are slid over in the budget categories, it might offset the cost right there, but in most cases it is best to ASK the contractor how much time that they spend on contract cost irrigation maintenance. They will almost always embellish the amount of time they spent. Ask to have this amount of Maintenance time REMOVED FROM YOUR CONTRACT. Now you have a professional water manager at your disposal.

Question 7.

Can someone in my area to manage my water?

Answer:

If you are located in Seminole County or North Central Florida, I can help you.

The days of irrigating landscapes “by eye“ are gone. With water cost rising ,and limited supplies dwindling, water management has become a key issue all over the state of Florida.

Professional water managers reduce your water usage, and maintain the
irrigation system at high levels of efficiency. This in turn saves money in
water bills, and plant replacement due to improper irrigation. In most cases if your landscape is medium to large, the cost of the manager is covered in the savings of water/plant/turf replacement.

Water management is (in most cases) assigned to a landscape company crew leader or an account manager.  Both of them have many other duties and rarely have the dedicated time or experience that it takes to perform the necessary tasks. In most cases the mowing season becomes so intense that controllers are updated only when a problem has arisen. This is often too late to save plants or turf, requiring MORE time and energy to remedy the problem while landscape quality suffers.

Here are 10 tell tale signs to know if  your irrigation is not being managed properly…

1.  Turf stations are not on a different program from shrub stations

2. The drip zones are not on a separate program from shrub spray stations

3. All of the stations running for the same amount of time

4. The water come on during the day (after 10 a.m.) – not ALWAYS an issue depending on your water window

5. There are no zone legends in controller charts in the controller. Do they say what it is watering and when?

6. All stations are not checked regularly for misaligned or broken heads

7. Your water bills seem unusually high?

8. You do not receive regular feedback about the condition of your irrigation system

9. Your contractor does not have any Irrigation Association training

10. You receive complaints about over- or under- watering

Irrigation Services Lake Mary Sprinklers Currently Offers

A. Irrigation tune-ups that document, and estimate the repairs, and upgrade cost

B. Irrigation water audits / evaluations of existing system / surveys, and
Inventory

C. Valve locating, and repair

D. Mark and locate Irrigation main lines, and wires before digging

E. Regular maintenance of irrigation systems

F. Professional water management service or training

G. Expert Irrigation electrical diagnosis and repair

H. Pre-screening of Irrigation plans for potential problems

I. Mark and locate existing lines and wires BEFORE DIGGING (and damage)

J. Troubleshoot and fine tune new systems or warranty work

K. Irrigation maintenance during establishment periods

L. Technical electrical diagnosis and repair

M. Seasonal irrigation tune-ups

Ask your landscape maintenance contractor about these issues, it may surprise you what answers you will get. I work with your existing contractor to minimize problems for everybody concerned. Call us about getting your site evaluated. +1 (407) 341-3449 or E-mail me