One of the questions we often get from property owners in areas facing drought-related watering restrictions is: “Why do I need Banyan to manage my irrigation system when the municipality limits how much I can use anyway?”
Even with water restrictions, managing your irrigation is a must, and here’s why.
While effective water management is always important, the critical time to proactively manage water is during periods of water restrictions. Every gallon of water and every minute of time are precious. Don’t leave it up to chance when it comes to which areas of landscape get water for how long. Nor should anyone make an educated guess.
The Banyan system leverages a unique combination of technologies and services to get the most impact out of every valuable gallon of water. Our system greatly reduces the restriction-related risks. This includes loss of landscape investment, foundation and hardscape damage, violation of restriction compliance and resident dissatisfaction.
What are the key services Banyan Water provides?
Key Banyan Water services and their benefit during periods of restriction include the following:
Zone Details – Banyan analyzes and tracks 17 different factors on every zone of irrigation (typical multifamily properties will have 50-150 zones). This includes water flow rate, plant & soil types, slope & sun exposure, sprinkler precipitation rate, impact of hardscapes and reflective glass, etc.
Combining this data with real-time weather information, we know precisely how much water to apply for how long in order to meet the needs of the plants and soils.
Water Flow Monitoring & Control
The vast majority of smart controllers apply water based on total time, not flow/volume, so actual water usage is “calculated” rather than measured. This causes significant error in application and no real measurement of volume used.
The Banyan system measures actual flow rate through each zone in real time providing accurate information about how much water is being applied at any given moment. It also keeps track of the total volume of water used. This is particularly critical during periods of restriction when we need to apply as much water as possible during a finite period of time.
Real time flow information enables us to automatically build schedules to optimize every minute of time to deliver the most impact.
Leak Detection
Since flow is monitored in real time, the Banyan system is able to detect leaks and unscheduled water loss instantaneously. While this is important all the time, it is particularly critical during water restrictions. The last thing a property owner needs during a drought restriction is an undetected leak causing water to run down the street, capturing the attention of residents and compliance officials.
Strategic Scheduling
Armed with real-time information and detailed system data, the Banyan Operations Team is able to assure that the most critical areas of the property are prioritized for watering during restricted hours. This assures that you get the most effective use of the limited amount of water allowed.
Regulatory Support & Compliance
Banyan Water works closely with local water and regulatory agencies to develop improved water management programs. This helps achieve the goal of reducing water consumption while protecting a property owner’s assets.
Over the past decade, the Banyan Water irrigation management solution has reduced water use by over 60% for our clients, proving that proactive, diligent water management works.
With real-time water flow measurement and constant oversight, Banyan can also help assure that the property is in compliance with all water restrictions, avoiding penalties and reputational risk.