Source: www.TurfMagazine.com
TUCSON – Rain Bird’s ESP-SMT Smart Irrigation Control System has earned the WaterSense label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense partnership program. The WaterSense label certifies that the ESP-SMT has passed the EPA’s rigorous testing requirements, confirming the controller’s water-efficiency and performance in landscape settings. The ESP-SMT is the first controller from a full-line irrigation manufacturer to receive this certification.
"We are very proud to be the first major irrigation manufacturer with a controller that’s certified by the EPA WaterSense program," says Jed Price, product manager for Rain Bird controllers. "When we designed the ESP-SMT, we took the complicated programming that had been used by golf courses for decades and put it into a user-friendly residential/light commercial controller. We wanted to make it possible for contractors to offer their customers a controller that improves irrigation efficiency and reduces water waste. Having the ESP-SMT controller earn the EPA WaterSense label is just another confirmation that we’ve accomplished that goal."
The ESP-SMT controller’s internal database includes over eight years of historical weather by zip code. As well, the ESP-SMT is the only controller on the market that incorporates on site rainfall amounts and temperature with the historical weather data to adjust watering on a daily basis. This is a key element of the ESP-SMT’s success, as the controller is able to calculate effective rainfall amounts to more accurately determine how much water is needed to maintain optimum soil moisture levels.
To earn the WaterSense label, weather-based irrigation controllers like the ESP-SMT must demonstrate the ability to adequately meet the watering needs of a landscape without overwatering. To prove this ability, these controllers must first undergo independent testing in accordance with the Irrigation Association’s Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT) 30-day testing protocol.
Independent test results showed that Rain Bird’s ESP-SMT effectively creates and modifies irrigation schedules based on historical ET rates and on-site weather sensor data. The ESP-SMT also demonstrated an irrigation adequacy of greater than, or equal to, 80 percent, an irrigation excess of ten percent or less in each of six irrigation zones and an average irrigation excess of five percent or less across all six zones. The ESP-SMT also met or surpassed numerous other testing requirements, including independent zone programming, a water budget feature and the ability to accommodate watering restrictions.
"We have always known that the ESP-SMT is extremely effective tool that can help homeowners and businesses use less water," Price said. "The WaterSense label simply reinforces that fact and gives property owners the assurance they need to make the much-needed switch to smart landscape irrigation control."
For more information about Rain Bird’s ESP-SMT Smart Control System, visit www.rainbird.com/esp-smt. To view the list of Watersense-labeled irrigation controllers, visit www.epa.gov/watersense/product_search.html?Category=5.
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