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The Toro Company is initiating case studies involving commercial and residential irrigation applications. This is the first residential case study in the series.
Resident Profile
The Schenck family has lived in their Yucaipa, California, home since 2007. Nicole Schenck, owner of a firm that stages large events, such as a water conference attracting irrigation experts from around the state, is a water aficionado who pays close attention to her monthly water usage. “My husband and I wanted to keep our quality of life,” she said. “We understand the state’s regulations, but we wanted to keep our grass because we’re a family of four with two small children and outdoor pets.” In March 2015, the family approached Toro to learn what options they had for accomplishing the goal of keeping their lawn lush and green while cutting down on water use.
Toro Recommendations, Installation, and Service
“When we talked to the folks at Toro about ways to save water at home with their WaterSmart® products,” Schenck said, “they said we could cut down on our use substantially with their high efficiency, Precision™ Series Spray Nozzles. They also recommended the EVOLUTION® controller and Precision™ Soil Sensor. For all three products, we requested a landscape contractor to perform the installation.”
Before the landscape contractor began the process of installing and programming the EVOLUTION Controller, he looked at the products Schenck had purchased and mapped out where everything should be located. “He determined where the Soil Sensor would serve us best,” she said. “This was important because we have some parts of our property that tend to flood, versus others that experience runoff.” As an informed water user who is enthusiastic about ways to save water, Schenck knows that runoff is one of the most common sources of water waste at home.
After designing a product location strategy, the landscape contractor installed the nozzles and programmed the EVOLUTION controller. “Then he installed the Soil Sensor,” Schenck said. “He left instructions for how long each zone should run. Then, he came back in 30 days to make sure it was properly calibrated and everything was working fine.” It was, as the contractor enabled the controller to water only when the soil needed it.
Water Use Reduction with Toro WaterSmart®
Schenck knew that measuring gallons per capita per day, or GCPD, is one of the most accurate ways to track water usage. “In April, my water use was reduced by 70%,” she said. “All the way down to 50 GCPD. That’s incredible!”
As the summer months approached, the family’s use increased according to seasonal expectations – but the reduction from the previous year’s summer was still remarkable. In May, they reduced water use by 60% and 52 GCPD; in June, 30% and 158 GCPD; and in July, 40% and 96.77 GCPD. “Over nine months of using the Toro products, I have a cumulative reduction of 37%,” Schenck said. “In all, I estimate that we saved over 54,000 gallons of water; for us, that’s close to a five-month supply. That’s why my opinion is that Toro WaterSmart products offer some of the best ways to save water available.”
*This is one customer’s experience; results may vary.
