Landscape & Irrigation

IRRIGATION AND WATER MANAGEMENT www.landscapeirrigation.com Landscape and Irrigation April 2016 19 initiate irrigation. The use of emitters that incorporate some form of herbicide (e.g. Treflurian) or copper will minimize the risk. If the soil around the emitter pipe is saturated, and water is drained from the system network or line, there is a chance that soil debris may be drawn back into the pipe. Other than avoiding over- watering, emitter design that withstands suck-back can be used. TROUBLESHOOTING Troubleshooting is part of reactive maintenance. A fault, malfunction or poor performance has been identified and it needs to be corrected. A systematic approach is required, as in many cases there are multiple factors contributing to the fault. Following a logical and thorough progression of tests will ensure that the primary cause or causes are identified. Many manufacturers of irrigation, pumping and water treatment equipment provide troubleshooting guides for their equipment. Diagnostic facilities on controllers, pumps and irrigation system are valuable in identifying suspect components. STRATEGIES TO REDUCE REACTIVE MAINTENANCE Through good design, careful installation and smart management of the irrigation system, the need for reactive maintenance can be reduced. Industry guidelines — including the Landscape Irrigation Best Management Practices, authored by Irrigation Association & American Society of Irrigation Consultants (2014) — provide comprehensive information on all aspects of irrigation system design, installation and management. Reliability and robustness should be built into the irrigation system at the design and equipment-selection stages. Dollar savings on lower-quality specified equipment will generally end up costing more in the long term, and will certainly lead to high reactive maintenance costs. In addition to the hardware issues, there is site irrigation performance to be considered. Lower application uniformities not only result in increased water costs, but also increased costs of turf surface maintenance and repair. A key risk is the loss of controller programming and archival performance data. Having backup for irrigation controller settings is a logical protection strategy. However, the backup needs to be secure and off-site, either physically or in the Cloud. Total loss of a PC from meltdown, electrical shock or flooding is not uncommon. There is also the possibility of theft. In many situations, the irrigation system is considered incidental to the organization's assets. The investment in irrigation infrastructure is large. Individual components — in particular high-tech components — are expensive, and there are often multiple systems installed. Knowing the details and locations of all of these assets is essential for an organization. They should be included with all other assets. Making provisions for depreciation and also being covered under the organization's insurance policies is sound management. Having adequate insurance to cover loss of equipment is part of risk minimization. Provision needs to be made not only for the hardware and software, but also the time required to re-install replacement equipment. SUMMARY Through good design and selection of quality components, the reliability of irrigation systems can be enhanced. However, some maintenance is required on all physical systems to keep them in good working order. In addition to the periodic checks recommended by manufacturers, it is valuable to identify the risk areas and potential weak spots in the system. These risk areas require special attention and should be included as part of a preventative maintenance program. While preventative maintenance is often considered to only involve the physical parts (equipment) of the system, conducting regular inspections of the system water application performance, including audits, is a good investment. Conducting regular audits of the performance of the irrigation system, including uniformity and precipitation rates, not only contributes to the efficiency of the irrigation but also provides valuable information about the overall status of the system and points of weakness. Possessing the capacity to carry out maintenance to the required standard is essential. In addition to the appropriate skills, being equipped with comprehensive up-to-date information, including plans and manuals, is important. It is also important to learn from maintenance experiences, both the planned and unplanned events. Recording fault events, work done and test results provides a sound basis for the development of a quality preventative maintenance program. The key message is that preventative maintenance should be carried out prior to the commencement of the irrigation season, with the aim of reducing the need for reactive maintenance. Geoff Connellan is principal at G & M Connellan Consulting. He has 30 years' experience in urban horticultural water management, research and education. His expertise includes water sources, water demand management, evaluation of water use, irrigation technologies and strategies for sustainable irrigated open space. He has provided water management advice on numerous significant turf and landscape sites around Australia. He is the initiator and project manager of the SmartGardenWatering.org.au website, and was awarded the MacLean Iedema Award in recognition for his outstanding contribution to irrigation in Australia. Connellan is author of Water Use Efficiency for Irrigated Turf and Landscape, which provides a logical and scientifically sound approach to irrigation in urban areas. It is based on green space delivering defined outcomes using the principles of water sensitive urban design and irrigation efficiency. The book covers all stages of the water pathway — from the source to delivery into the plant root zone. Major topics include system planning, estimating water demand, water quality, irrigation systems, soil management and irrigation performance evaluation. For more information, visit http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/5263.htm LI

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