Dozens of Pinellas County homeowners are taking part in the second phase of landscaping irrigation research project that will help homeowners conserve water while maintaining their lawns. The project will test soil moisture sensor technology on residential landscapes, quantify irrigation water savings and monitor and document landscape quality.
The project is a joint effort by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Pinellas County and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).
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 install a soil moisture sensor. A soil moisture sensor is connected to an existing automatic irrigation system. These sensors, which are buried in the root zone of an irrigated area, help prevent excessive irrigation by monitoring the moisture level of the soil. If the moisture level of the soil is above a predetermined set point, the soil moisture sensor will not allow the automatic irrigation system to turn on.
The first phase of the project involved testing four different soil moisture sensors under test plot conditions at the University of Florida to determine their effectiveness. Researchers chose which soil moisture sensors to use in the second phase, based on the information collected in the first phase.
Pinellas County selected 64 homeowners to participate in the second phase of the project. The homeowners are divided into four treatment groups. The first group has soil moisture sensors that are connected to existing automatic irrigation systems. The second group has rain sensors that are connected to existing automatic irrigation systems. The third group has automatic irrigation systems only. The fourth group has received educational materials for assistance with setting their existing automatic irrigation systems.
Employees of Pinellas County Utilities will collect monthly irrigation use and total water use from the home sites.
Four weather stations have also been installed in the project area.
According to preliminary project results, soil moisture sensors can provide substantial water savings.
Results from this project are expected to be complete by December 2007.
Funding for the second phase of the project comes from the District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board, which contributed $298,148.