13.D.16) Establish and enforce standards and restrictions for outdoor irrigation systems
The intensity of peak demands has grown in recent years due in part to the proliferation of automatic irrigation systems. These systems generally involve a series of sprinkler heads connected by piping or hoses, controlled by a central automatic timing device so that they operate on a regular schedule without requiring any human intervention.
Although irrigation systems can be designed to apply water precisely and efficiently, in practice they often irrigate more frequently and more heavily than necessary because of their automated nature. As they have spread from professionally managed and carefully monitored applications at golf courses and agricultural operations, to residential and commercial developments where they receive less oversight, they have become more and more wasteful of water. While the most sophisticated irrigation systems can distribute water where and when it is needed based on plant types, site and soil conditions, and recent weather patterns, the more basic systems have the potential to waste enormous quantities of water, running longer than necessary, spraying water onto paved areas, springing leaks, and even running during rainstorms. The Franklin Water Department estimated that homes with automatic systems consumed an average of five times the water than the typical household. The excessive irrigation, ironically, makes outdoor watering bans more likely by draining supplies, and also weakens plants through overwatering.
Recent improvements in technology have made it possible to increase the efficiency of irrigation systems (through local real-time or daily evapotranspiration rates). There are many alternative landscaping choices (including native lawns) that do not require irrigation, and higher standards or restrictions for irrigation systems may encourage many property owners to adopt such landscaping.
16.a Municipalities should establish restrictions on the use of automatic irrigation systems
16.b Property owners should increase the use of “smart” irrigation systems
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