Category: Uncategorized

  • How To Save Irrigation Water During Winter

    Surprisingly winter is one of the best times to save irrigation water. From now through April-May, your JAIN Unity smart irrigation controller provides significant payback toward annual water and cost savings. Depending on geographic location in the U.S., you may shut down your irrigation system altogether or only need to water minimally. A unique Unity feature, precious in the winter months, uses forecasted weather to eliminate unnecessary irrigation. It automatically adjusts your schedule to cancel daily watering up to a 7-day forecast outlook before it rains.

    JAIN Unity Helps Winterize Irrigation Systems

    Jain Unity allows changes to your irrigation settings for one or hundreds of sites in minutes from the comfort of your office or home. In addition, remote access through Jain Unity’s online account means you don’t have to get in your truck to go on-site or physically be in front of the controller to program winter irrigation suspension reductions and shutdowns. At the same time, you can put your Unity on auto-pilot for the first day you want it to start managing a regular intelligent irrigation schedule again with the return of Spring!

    Following are a few ways to conserve the most water with Unity in the winter season where you live.

    Cold Climates

    Freezing temperatures are a significant threat to irrigation systems. Sprinkler pipes and other components risk freezing and breaking when temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in an area of the country where you need to take measures to protect your irrigation system from freezing, you should “Suspend” your smart controller. This will stop the controller from watering entirely until the chosen suspension end date you’ve scheduled is reached.

    Also, suppose you’re draining or flushing the water in your irrigation system valves. In that case, we strongly recommend placing a suspension on your controller as part of this winterization to avoid activating “dry valves” that would result in costly damages.

    To create a suspension, go to the Controller Overview page in your Unity online account. Then, click on Suspend in the menu bar; enter the desired suspension start/end dates. Once you’ve saved your suspension, you should see the ‘Paus’ symbol ( || ) on the ‘Next 7 Days Forecasted Watering’ panel on the controller’s Overview section and the Site-level Overview section summary detail Y/N if a controller has been suspended.

    Winterize Your Irrigation System: Temperate Climates

    In areas of the country where it doesn’t freeze, or a typical freeze will last for only a few hours, Unity recommends you configure your Rainfall Forecast Suspension settings to maximize outdoor water use and cost savings in the winter season.

    From the Controller Overview page in your Unity online account, click “Forecast Rain” in the menu options. Next, click the “Edit” link to set your rain threshold settings. When factoring weather forecasts, Unity will only look ahead to the number of days you input and will only suspend watering for rain events if the probability is over what you specify. Repeat this for each controller on a site where you would like the forecast feature applied.

    As there’s rain in the forecast, Unity will automatically check to see if any stations on the selected controllers are scheduled to water. If your forecast percentage is met or exceeded, scheduled irrigation can be interrupted, provided that the plant’s needs have been met.

    Additional Off-Season Maintenance

    While you can program winter settings for your Unity smart irrigation remotely from anywhere and monitor your irrigation system anytime, it’s good practice to check the controller at the end of the year physically. During the colder weather months, some insects or rodents may be more inclined to attempt to get into your controller enclosure. This could cause damage that is not covered under warranty. To help avoid this damage, check your controller, and make sure there are no easy entries into the enclosure. In addition, we recommend using a flexible foam filler to seal any gaps in the controller.

    When getting ready to restart your irrigation controller for the new Spring irrigation season, makes sure to tighten all end caps and check for leaks or any damage that may have occurred over winter. Next, confirm the controller’s wireless communication modem is in working order by performing a ‘Test Dial’ directly on the controller or remotely through your Unity online account. Then do a ‘wet test’ of all your irrigation stations/zones to check your irrigation valves are all working and you’ll be fully prepared for our smart, automatic water scheduling to manage your landscape’s replenishment needs through the warm and hot weather months.

    Customer Care

    If you need help programming your Unity or ETwater smart controller for winter irrigation shutdown or scheduling reduction, don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Care. You can conveniently reach the Care team by phone at (888) 685-5505, by email etw_service@h2otrends.com or via the Live Chat feature in your Unity online dashboard or Unity Mobile on your Smartphone.

    JAIN appreciates your business! Feel free to contact us anytime. We’re here to help you work smarter and keep your landscape green and healthy.

    Tools & Docs

    If any of you have any additional ways to use smart controllers in the winter, we would love to hear about them in the comments section. If you enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing to our blog.

  • Human Composting Is A Thing

    Human composting will be another change humans must make to combat climate change. The name human composting may suffer from similar issues that ‘toilet to tap’ water recycling experienced, but creative names providing a more positive image are right around the corner. The environmental benefits are many, and this is important as more and more people consider how the end of their life impacts the environment.

    What States Legalized Human Composting

    The states of Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, and California (signed into law not allowed until 2027) all allow for human composting. In 2019 Washington legalized composting of human remains, and they call it natural organic reduction. One of the issues states face today is space to bury people. There are over 20K registered cemeteries in the U.S., and about 13.8 dead people to every living person. Yes, some states, including California, are running out of places to bury people. One question to be sure to ask when acquiring a burial plot is am I buying it or renting the space out for several years.

    The Process Is Easy

    The current process combines the human body with organic materials like wood chips, straw, and alfalfa in a steel vessel. The microbes break down the body and other organic materials creating rich soil in around 30 days. It takes another two to six weeks to cure out of the steel vessel and then is ready to be placed back in the ground.

    Human Composting Is Not Expensive

    General costs change from city to city, but these numbers provide a good general comparison for the cost of human composting. According to the National Funeral Directors Association:

    The median cost of a funeral with cremation in 2021 in the U.S. – $6971

    The median cost of a funeral with burial in 2021 in the U.S. – $7848

    Human composting in 2021 in the U.S. – $4,000 – $5,500

    The cost of a burial plot in the U.S. – The numbers vary widely due to the location. For example, if you want to be buried in Los Osos, California, the plot will cost around $1200, and there are also million-dollar locations in Santa Barbara overlooking the ocean. You can even purchase a cemetery plot on eBay.

    The Environmental Benefits of Human Composting

    According to National Geographic, 360 metric tons of greenhouse gas are emitted annually in the U.S. due to cremation. The average car produces one metric ton of carbon dioxide in three months.

    Millions of gallons of formaldehyde, methanol, and ethanol are buried yearly. In addition, there is the cost of wood, concrete, steel, and other material used to bury a body.

    There Is Opposition

    The Catholic Church spoke out against the concept of human composting. They believe the process reduces the human body to simply a disposable commodity. In New York, there is concern the process fails to preserve basic human dignity and respect.

    Human composting or natural organic reduction will not solve all the climate change issues we face today. However, it is an alternative and one of the many new solutions it will take to win the climate change battle. As Azar Nafisi said – You need imagination in order to imagine a future that doesn’t exist. We need many more good ideas like this to move forward successfully.

     

  • Water Prices, Poverty and You

    The popular sentiment on the fastest way to get people to conserve water is to raise water prices. Resources for the Future published the article “Use Prices to Conserve Water when Supplies are Scarce,” which you can read by visiting bit.ly/llrate. It encourages rate increases as an effective method to conserve water. In their sample, a 10 percent increase in water rates produced a 6 percent reduction in water use. Their conclusion is: Raising prices is more effective than a two-day-a-week watering restriction in reducing water waste.

    WATER MANAGEMENT BURDEN ON THE POOR

    I recently met with McGee Young, a Marquette University Associate Professor of Political Science and founder of H2oScore.com. He agrees raising water rates is effective for reducing water use, but raises an interesting question. Why do we place the burden of solving the water crisis on those with the least income? I asked him to explain. He pointed out a $50 or $60 increase in the water bill of a middle- or upper-income wage earner is not going to have much financial impact, and as a result they may not reduce their water usage. However, a $50 or $60 increase could have a sizable financial impact on a lower income family, and would more likely result in water usage reduction. The financial impact places a bigger burden on the poor to solve the water crisis.

    WATER – WHO USES WHAT?

    Another important point McGee Young made was that people who live in lower income neighborhoods tend to waste more water. He referenced an article in the Journal Sentinel, which you can read at bit.ly/waterpoor. Analysis of Water Works data during a recent two-year period shows that the lower the income in a neighborhood, the more water used on average in single-family homes. In general, low-income neighborhoods have older homes with dilapidated plumbing, along with inefficient toilets and faucets that are more prone to leaks. In addition, more of the homes are not owner occupied, so motivating absentee owners to invest in water infrastructure improvements, or fix or replace leaky toilets is difficult.

    YOUR ROLE

    McGee Young and H2oScore suggest solving the water crisis is a community challenge. The water industry primarily expects to solve the water crisis by raising rates. As a result of the increased rates, individuals will take shorter showers, fix leaks and water their gardens more efficiently. However, the biggest water wasters are not watering gardens and don’t have the option of fixing leaks. So, who will solve the water crisis? I’m not sure, but the landscape industry has an opportunity. Are you a member of the Irrigation Association? Are you involved in your local landscaping chapters and in tune with your local water agencies? If the answer is “no,” then it is time to get involved. It is time to develop awareness, involvement, responsibility and a sense of community for the purpose of making the landscape industry a leader in water conservation.

  • Homeowner Associations – Water Management Starts With The Contract

    Equity Management held a symposium concerning the drought in California and what homeowner associations should be focused on for excellent water management. There were several great presentations including one from Jon Epsten, an attorney at Epsten Grinnell & Howell. 

    Jon’s presentation focused on how the scope of work and contract can make a significant difference in water management. He explained how the HOA contract can be a road map for the landscape contractor by identifying the key elements of saving water. He recommends the following items be included in the homeowner association’s scope of work and contract for landscape maintenance to promote efficient water management.

     7 Water Management Tips for Homeowner Associations

    1. Contractor should review water usage on a monthly basis and report use to the board/management.
    2. Contractor should be a CLCA certified contractor. [Outside of California the contractor should be certified by your state or the Irrigation Association]
    3. Contractor should be required to monitor systems for leaks and sprinkler failures.
    4. Contractor shall regularly use a soil probe to measure soil moisture.
    5. Yearly walks of the property shall be conducted with the local water agency and contractor.
    6. Contractor should be familiar with rebate programs.
    7. Contractor should have an allowance for “routine” improvements (verified by photographs and receipts).

    Jon also stressed the burden of water conservation should be placed on the contractor not homeowner association. This should include a plan for conserving water with a recommended budget of improvements needed within 90 days of starting landscape maintenance work. This gives the contractor enough time to become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the system before making recommendations.

    These are excellent recommendations and appropriate for homeowner associations where water use is often one of the top three budget items. I am sure our readers might have some additional items to recommend and we’d love for you to share them in the comments section.
    Learn More About Richard Restuccia.

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