Pinellas County residents will soon be participating in an irrigation study aimed at determining the potential irrigation water savings of soil moisture sensors.
Residential lawn and landscape irrigation can account for more than 50 percent of a home’s total water use and according to recent research, many Florida homeowners water their lawns too much. One way to prevent over-irrigation is to add a soil moisture sensor to a time clock controlled irrigation system. These sensors, which are buried in the root zone of an irrigated area, help prevent excessive irrigation by electronically monitoring the moisture level of the soil. If the moisture level is above a set point, the soil moisture sensor will not allow the normal time-based irrigation cycle to turn on.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District, Pinellas County and the University of Florida’s Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department are working together on this research project.
Pinellas County is recruiting homeowners to participate in the study. Approximately 64 homeowners are needed. The focus of the research project is to demonstrate the soil moisture sensor technology on home lawns, quantify irrigation water savings, and document landscape quality. According to preliminary research in the state, soil moisture sensors can result in water savings of up to 60 percent when compared to traditional time-based watering.
Results from this study are expected to be complete by September 2006.
The project is funded by the District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board, the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association, and the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.