One on One with Alex Nathanson
By Gina Dostler
Half of water use by California residents takes place outdoors and residents tend to over-water outdoor plants and lawns, says the Association of California Water Agencies. Alex Nathanson, corporate manager at Rain Bird, says we can cut water outdoors if we use it intelligently.
Q: What do you mean by using water intelligently?
A: With efficient irrigation products and practices, it is possible to reduce outdoor water consumption by 25% or more without having to give up the plants, trees and gardens that add so much to our lives.
Q: So does that mean we can keep lawns?
A: Turf grass does use a lot of water. But the right irrigation allows a great reduction in water usage. First, look at how much grass you have and consider just keeping the functional parts, meaning where kids play, room for your dogs to lounge. Then transform the rest into a drought tolerant garden or other water saving feature. Remember, grass does have a cooling effect versus concrete. And trees give shade to the home, cutting down on air conditioning bills.
Q: Then what is the right irrigation?
A: We have so many different possibilities available. Everybody thinks that brown is the new green. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I personally took up a shovel and redid my own lawn with subsurface drip irrigation. It’s basically placing drip tubing underneath the lawns. High-tech soaker hoses are put in rows where every 12” is a hole in the tubing that allows a slow flow of water underneath the soil. It’s very easy to do. I found out the only hard part is actually digging up the lawn.
Q: Do I have to put in a whole new system just to save water?
A: You don’t have to put in a brand new system. Many solutions are a simple retrofit such as replacing nozzles with a rotating one. Small rotating streams of water flow out of the nozzle more slowly and actually have time to sink into the soil instead of spray nozzles that send water running down the driveway or hillside. A lot of the clay soil in southern California drains very slowly. So when too much water is sprayed out, it doesn’t soak down quickly enough. You can also use a drip that is inexpensive and very easy to retrofit into a spray nozzle. Another way is utilizing a smart controller.
Q: How smart is it?
A: Our weather based controller has a built in weather station that knows the current temperature and historical temperature and based on those factors, makes adjustments on when and how much water to use automatically by raising or lowering watering time. Yes, rain sensors can sense rain and keep from watering the lawns. But the smart controller takes it one step further and instead of watering for 20 minutes on hot days, if the weather is cooler, it waters for only 10 minutes, saving 30% to 50% in water usage.
Q: What is the first step to take?
A: Go out and check your system. Most usually go off early in the morning where a leak can go unnoticed. Or have a professional come and audit the system to detect any problems. It’s not always about buying new products. You can adjust the schedule, so instead of watering for a whole 20 minutes, split it up into different watering segments of smaller minutes to allow water to soak in and not run off. Again, use water intelligently. If you see water running down into the gutter, change the nozzles or install drip irrigation to keep water where it needs to be and still keep plants healthy.
Q: Are rebates still available?
A: There are a whole bunch of rebates available. You just have to check with your local water district on what you have available. Laguna Beach County Water District (www.lbcwd.org) has rebates to reduce outdoor water usage that includes rotating nozzles and smart irrigation controllers, including weather based ones. The controller rebates are up to $260 each for properties less than one acre. You can find all the rebate information at www.ocwatersmart.com.
Q: Will Rain Bird be participating at the LBCWD’s SmartScape Info/Expo?
A: Absolutely. We’ll be there to help, telling people all about the cool technology that can save a ton of water yet keep our gardens green while we get through this drought. The expo is a great place to find knowledgeable landscape and irrigation professionals and be able to participate in hands-on demonstrations. It’s a two-day event over the weekend of Sept. 26 – 27 and a great way to learn how to use water intelligently.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Alex Nathanson
Rain Bird Corporation
970 West Sierra Madre Ave.
Azusa, CA 91702
(626) 812-3463
anathanson@rainbird.com
www.rainbird.com
