District Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System

SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

District Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System Presented to Presented to 9th Annual CA Higher Education Sustainability Conference

June 21, 2010

SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System

Background In order to comply with regional requirements for water conservation and to reduce water costs, SDCCD prioritized implementation of a standardized irrigation control system.

By using grants from CalFed and the local water agency, SDCCD was able to pilot a year‐long test of the Calsense l l f h l weather‐based control system at h b d l each of the campuses, selecting a variety of surfaces and environments.

Calsense C l was selected as a result of research that indicated it would have a l d l f h h i di di ld h higher level of reliability than other existing irrigation control systems.

SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System

Results of Pilot Program Data from a year‐long pilot, conducted October 2008 through October 2009, showed that the System helped reduce water use by about 40% – a savings to the District of over 37 million gallons.

That’s the equivalent of about 113 acre‐feet – enough water for 450 people for a year! h f l f !

Calsense is now used as the District standard for is now used as the District standard for all new construction projects, as approved by SDCCD’ss Board of Trustees on December 10, 2009.

SDCCD Board of Trustees on December 10 2009

SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System

Significant Features • Calsense system projects an overall average water savings of 30%, although savings of up to 45% were obtained in some locations.

• Catastrophic main line breaks can be detected down to a single irrigation head. g g • Automatic alerts are sent out to alert staff of possible breaks.

SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System

Significant Features • Controllers measure evaporation transpiration (IT), rain fall utilizing a ‘rain bucket’ and include a soil moisture sensor.

• When sufficient moisture is detected, the system temporarily shuts down. As moisture measurements indicate water is again needed, the system restarts.

• Irrigation Irrigation controllers for the entire controllers for the entire District can be monitored from a central location.

SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System

Getting the Buy‐In In identifying pilot projects, the District looked strategically at irrigation areas with historically higher water consumption.

One of the first projects was the baseball field at Mesa College.

With the installation of the Calsense system, the amount of the water used at the field the amount of the water used at the field was reduced by 15‐20%, a dramatic amount for sports turf.

SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System

Getting the Buy‐In Instead of using water believed to be ‘needed’, ground crews now have and use daily accurate moisture measurements to water to exact needs.

Selecting sports turf as a pilot project resulted in greater and faster g p p p j g buy‐in from the grounds crews, and help motivate teams at other campuses to begin testing the system themselves.

SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System

Data Sample – Mesa College

SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System

Alert Sample – Mesa College

SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System

Water Efficiency • In 2009, the District used 93,000,000 gallons of water.

• Approximately 60% was used for landscaping (55,800,00 gallons) • Calsense projected 30% reduction in water use, a savings of 16,740,000 gallons.

• Retrofits underway district‐wide.

• In six controlled irrigation zones, SDCCD ll d has saved 4,695,500 gallons of water, g g y leading to cost savings of nearly $38,000.

SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System

Implementation Benefits • System’s ability to shut down when a break in a line is detected has prevented costly water line is detected has prevented costly water waste.

• Programming Programming options allow staff to program options allow staff to program evaporation transpiration (ET) for each individual station within a zone, based on climate, vegetation, etc. li i

SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System

Implementation Benefits • System has enabled District to meet and exceed stringent local water and exceed stringent local water conservation mandates • Lawn water use has dropped by 45% Lawn water use has dropped by 45% • In landscape areas where turf has been converted to xeriscape water been converted to xeriscape, water usage has been reduced by 75%

SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

Questions?

Deb Canning Regional Facilities Officer San Diego g Community y College g District Mesa College dcanning@sdccd.edu (619) 388-2814