Ruppert Landscape Appoints Kang President & COO
Jessica Schwartz
Hunter’s New Wireless Valve Link Helps Simplify Installation
When taking on a new installation or retrofit project, running wire from the controller to field valves can be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive. The new Wireless Valve Link uses LoRa® Wireless Radio Technology from Hunter Industries enables contractors to easily connect valves without running additional wires or cutting into hardscape, which can be an extremeley time consuming part of any hardscape or design-build project.
Hunter’s New Wireless Valve Link Helps Simplify Installation
When taking on a new installation or retrofit project, running wire from the controller to field valves can be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive. The new Wireless Valve Link uses LoRa® Wireless Radio Technology from Hunter Industries enables contractors to easily connect valves without running additional wires or cutting into hardscape, which can be an extremeley time consuming part of any hardscape or design-build project.
Advanced Drainage Systems Wins Project of the Year Award
The Plastic Pipe Institute’s (PPI) Drainage Division has awarded its 2022 “Project of the Year Award” to Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) for their warehouse project in Greencastle, PA. With the goal of protecting the environment, a new facility with a 1.5 million square foot building made the decision to use five large underground stormwater storage systems. The system required watertight capabilities due to the karst topography and created the area of some 83 acres. As one of the largest sites in Franklin County, this project used over 17 miles of ADS® N-12® Dual Wall HDPE Pipe to construct the underground detention beds. N-12 pipe is certified to meet or exceed the requirements for: CAN/CSA Standard: B182.8 and BNQ 3624-120 American Association of State Highway (AASHTO) Load Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) specifications ASTM 3212 lab test ASTM F2487 infiltration/exfiltration test Type S pipe under AASHTO specifications M 252 and M 294 Specified for culverts, cross drains, storm sewers and other types of new and rehab projects, N-12 pipe has a smooth inner wall for optimum hydraulic flow and a corrugated exterior for structural strength. N-12 pipe can support H-25 live loads with 12″ minimum cover for most pipe diameters. Sections are joined with an integral bell and spigot that creates a watertight connection with a factory-installed gasket–no extra couplers needed. Additional information can be found at www.plasticpipe.org and www.plasticpipe.org/drainage. Plastics Pipe Institute is a major trade association representing all segments of the plastics piping industry. PPI focuses collaborative efforts to accumulate data, concentrate facts, ...
Minnesota “Lawns To Legumes” Accepting Applications
Minnesota landscapers, heads up! Here’s something to make your clients aware of: The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is once again accepting applications for the Lawns to Legumes program. The state-wide program, which aims to increase habitat for at-risk pollinators in residential settings, means your clients can potentially be reimbursed for up to $350 in costs associated with establishing new pollinator habitats in their yards. Recipients are required to contribute a 25% match in hiring a landscaper (you), purchasing materials, or as in-kind time spent planting and maintaining their projects. This presents an eco-friendly and cost-saving opportunity for clients, while giving landscapers an opportunity to upsell services and showcase their garden design skills. The program also provides workshops, coaching, and gardening resources. The new application period is now open. “This program empowers Minnesota residents to make a difference for pollinators in their own living spaces,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said. “Lawns to Legumes offers options for Minnesotans to put conservation on the ground in a way that works for them.” Applications will be accepted through January 18, 2023 Notifications about funding decisions will be sent to project applicants in February. Those who do not receive funding are encouraged to pursue DIY projects using the many online resources, including BWSR’s Planting for Pollinators Habitat Guide, gardening templates, tips for selecting native plants and more. Apply online at Blue Thumb’s website. For previous coverage on pollinator habitats, visit “Could Your Business Handle a No Mow May?“
Cali in Crisis: Water Agencies Call for Immediate & Long-Term Action
California water agencies form the group, Solve The Water Crisis. A newly formed statewide education effort, Solve the Water Crisis, was launched this past April in California. It is being spearheaded by local water agencies from across the state with diverse supporters from all regions and across all industries. “As the State repeatedly calls for more conservation to get through the current drought, reactionary solutions to the current drought are not an acceptable or adequate policy response. There is a lack of acknowledgement on the larger and long-term picture – we are in a generational water supply crisis that is far more than just this drought and we need California policymakers to take immediate action,” says Heather Dyer, general manager of San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, and a leader of Solve the Water Crisis. As the State responds to manage this current drought, the perpetual and systemic water crisis continues to grow, with no relief or remedy in sight, for the near term or future, states the group. Water agencies are now calling on the state to take action in response to the years of drought conditions, the repeated imposition of emergency regulations and water restrictions to reduce consumption, and the lack of progress on water infrastructure investment. The groups feels the time is now to imagine and create water infrastructure aligned with the new climate reality of significantly reduced snow-pack and increased precipitation volatility. Worsening climate conditions coupled with a population that has doubled since the development ...
Cali in Crisis: Water Agencies Call for Immediate & Long-Term Action
California water agencies form the group, Solve The Water Crisis. A newly formed statewide education effort, Solve the Water Crisis, was launched this past April in California. It is being spearheaded by local water agencies from across the state with diverse supporters from all regions and across all industries. “As the State repeatedly calls for more conservation to get through the current drought, reactionary solutions to the current drought are not an acceptable or adequate policy response. There is a lack of acknowledgement on the larger and long-term picture – we are in a generational water supply crisis that is far more than just this drought and we need California policymakers to take immediate action,” says Heather Dyer, general manager of San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, and a leader of Solve the Water Crisis. As the State responds to manage this current drought, the perpetual and systemic water crisis continues to grow, with no relief or remedy in sight, for the near term or future, states the group. Water agencies are now calling on the state to take action in response to the years of drought conditions, the repeated imposition of emergency regulations and water restrictions to reduce consumption, and the lack of progress on water infrastructure investment. The groups feels the time is now to imagine and create water infrastructure aligned with the new climate reality of significantly reduced snow-pack and increased precipitation volatility. Worsening climate conditions coupled with a population that has doubled since the development ...
Sustainability Feature: Defending The American Lawn
Who would have thought the All-American lawn would become a hot topic of debate? One has only to read various social media posts, blogs, and news articles today to realize the “traditional lawn” is under attack. Lawns are charged with consuming more resources than the benefits they provide, requiring massive amounts of water, pesticides, and fertilizers at the expense of the environment. The amount of water, fertilizer, and chemicals used in caring for a lawn can obviously be debated. But what cannot be debated—and what is often lost or overlooked—is the importance of healthy turf ground cover. There are many ways a healthy lawn, no matter the level of inputs, benefits neighborhoods and communities. Decreasing Erosion. A healthy stand of grass plays a crucial role in reducing soil erosion. When a thin stand of turf spans the lawn, it allows the exposed soil to erode with rain. The soil then washes off the property, carrying soil particles and nutrients that impede water flow and add to silting in our streams and ponds. Preventing soil erosion may be the most vital role a thick stand of grass provides. Cleaning Stormwater. Like a sponge that absorbs water, a thick stand of grass slows stormwater and holds soil particles in place. The lawn additionally becomes a filter, catching sediment, slowing runoff, and resulting in less—and cleaner—stormwater entering sewers. Reducing Noise & Glare. Research shows lawns also reduce noise by up to 40% compared to sound bouncing off hard surfaces like parking lots, ...
