Evaluation of New Retrofit Technology for Conversion of Sprayheads to Drip Irrigation in Municipal Facilities

摘要

As in many other cities, a large portion of runoff in the City of Santa Monica originates from excessive or misdirected sprinkler irrigation. In 2004 the City's Environmental Programs Division (SMEPD) began a search for City-owned properties that could serve as demonstration sites for various water conservation and runoff reduction technologies for the City’s property owners. A good candidate was found in Santa Monica Fire Station #2 (Figure 1) which had been completely rebuilt in 2003 as a result of damage sustained in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The rebuild included new landscaping consisting of three turf zones and five shrub zones totaling a little over 2000 square feet; and an irrigation system composed of an Irritrol MC+ controller, RainBird EFB-CP valves and Rain Bird 1800 sprayheads with Rain Bird MPR nozzles. Most of the zones in this landscape are adjacent to hardscape and prone to overspray and runoff from the sprinklers (Figure 2).