“With much of the country facing water restrictions and drought, it is more important than ever to use water responsibly, effectively and efficiently,” said Alex Nathanson, corporate marketing brand manager for Rain Bird. “Technology innovations like the new Rain Bird ESP-SMT Smart Control System help homeowners keep their yards beautiful and healthy while using 30-70% less water.”
Commonly used at commercial sites and golf courses, the cost and complexity of smart irrigation technology has made it impractical for most residential applications.
After installation and set-up, the ESP-SMT uses temperature and rainfall data from its weather sensor to calculate the site’s evapotranspiration (ET) rate each day. The ESP-SMT then deducts effective rainfall amounts to determine how much water is needed to maintain the optimum level of moisture in the soil. After it examines the new characteristics of each zone (e.g. sprinkler type, sun exposure, slope and plantings), the ESP-SMT intelligently adjusts the watering schedule to automatically apply more or less water as needed. The ESP-SMT promotes lush, healthy plant material while substantially reducing water waste and run-off.
