The largest monthly expense for many community associations is landscape maintenance, and water is a necessary cost in the landscape maintenance budget. Landscape water demand is a function of the weather and the types of plants in common areas that require sufficient water for optimum health. Measuring and controlling water use for landscape irrigation systems is not an exact science, but most community associations want to know if their water use is appropriate.
To achieve efficient water use, associations must try to adapt contract specifications with detail maintenance practices and techniques that deliver efficient monitoring and operation of irrigation schedules. Signal controllers for community landscape areas generally must be set or changed manually at individual stations or valves, and frequent adjustments can be costly. Some systems are equipped with rain gauges that when filled to a specific level will delay automatic operation until rain water has evaporated. Each landscape irrigation system is unique, and as systems age, serious operational problems can become a nightmare.
Residents do not always have a clear understanding of irrigation mechanics and schedules, and naturally, they are concerned when less than efficient water use is observed. However, irrigation during a rain period is not necessarily an emergency since stations will continue to run only for a specified time and then shut off. If rain continues for a long period, then temporary shut down of the signal controllers for all stations will be considered. An irrigation station that runs continuously after its specified time is an emergency and the signal controller must be turned off and repaired. A waterspout or continuous flow of water at an individual sprinkler head is not necessarily an emergency since the signal controller will stop the flow of water at its specified time, however this type of malfunction will require prompt repair and should be reported.
Frequent analysis of landscape components, water bills, weather data, and maintenance practices have helped community associations reduce and manage landscape costs and water use. CMA offers a wide variety of SERVICES to help your community manage these and other expenses.
