Immediate Release

From:   Orange County Utilities Department
Phone:  407-254-9802 – Pam Weaver
Fax:   407-254-9939

Orange County, FL - Orange County residents use over 50% of their potable water supply for outdoor irrigation of grass and plants.  In certain areas of Central Florida with very sandy soils, household water used for irrigation can be as high as 74% during certain times of the year.  The convenience of in-ground, automatic irrigation systems has resulted in an increase in water demand that utilities must supply, overwatering of the landscape, and faster consumption of the groundwater than the natural environment can replenish.  We have found that customers typically set their irrigation time clocks and do not adjust them in response to changing climatic demands or rainfall (they "set it and forget it").  Homeowners with automated irrigation systems typically apply 2 to 3 times more water than the landscaping requires.  The most dramatic water savings can come from efficiently irrigating lawns and landscapes, and most industry representatives believe that smart irrigation technology is the best means of achieving that.  Smart irrigation devices read climatic conditions and the amount of moisture in the soil, as well as rainfall, to determine when the landscape needs to be irrigated and how much water is needed.

Orange County Utilities is working with the University of Florida/IFAS to install smart irrigation devices (soil moisture sensors or evapotranspiration [ET] systems) in 160 homes and businesses in Orange County in order to study the effectiveness of these devices in reducing outdoor water use under different scenarios, including varying soil types.  Orange County has at least two distinct soil types—sandy soils in the western portion of the county and very mucky soils in the east.  In addition, we will be researching the usability of the smart irrigation devices by the average homeowner or property manager.  Much of the previous research on the effectiveness of smart irrigation devices has been conducted in agricultural settings and controlled field tests.  Actually installing the smart devices in the home and having a test group where the homeowner manages the system after installation has not been done so far.

Approximately 70% of the properties included in the study will be residential with the other 30% being commercial businesses.  The study will be conducted on existing properties with at least 3 years of water use history.  These properties will be evaluated and then retrofitted with smart technology (soil moisture sensors or ET systems).  The properties will be monitored monthly for 3 years to determine the amount of water savings, whether there is a difference in water efficiency based on soil type, and if homeowners who manage the devices themselves will see water savings similar to those properties where the devices are managed by our research contractors.  Homes and businesses that will participate in the research will be selected this fall.

The program has sparked interest from the St. Johns River and South Florida Water Management Districts and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Water Research Foundation—all of whom have committed to partnering in the study and providing funds for the research. 

For more information about water conservation or the Smart Irrigation Technology Research, please contact the Orange County Utilities Water Division at

407-254-9850, option 2.

Para más información, por favor llame al Departamento de Servicios Públicos del Condado de Orange y pida hablar con un representante en español.  El número de teléfono es 407-254-9850.

Website:  www.ocfl.net/utilities/
E-mail address:  Water.Division@ocfl.net

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