12 | SUNRAYS MAY 2014
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SCTXCA.ORG
CA NEWS
Water Matters
Submitted by Carlton M Mathis, Water Management
Irrigation systems should be running spring
programs throughout Sun City Texas. Below
is an excerpt from the Water Ambassador
Handbook on controller programming. If
you need help from a Water Ambassador, or
are interested in joining their ranks, please
contact your Neighborhood Representative.
I. CONTROLLER PROGRAMMING
After familiarizing yourself with the irrigation site, setting
up the controller is next. There are two types of controllers
installed in Sun City Texas: the Hunter Pro-C and the Rain
Bird ESP. Both are fairly user-friendly and use a similar dial
and button interface.
a. Set the Current Time and Day
This is the most critical part of the program, and usually the
culprit for most unexpected watering cycles—particularly the
AM/PM settings. Another common disruption to this setting can
be power outages or surges. Both controllers use 9-volt batteries
to illuminate the display when power is unavailable. It is always
best to have a good battery in place. An important note on the
Rain Bird controllers: they only use a rechargeable 9V battery.
b. Determine Station Run Times
Since every lot is different, the following recommendations have
been generalized. Differences in household water pressures,
soil depth, slope of the yard, sun and shade, and proximity to
a neighboring system will affect how long a station actually
needs to run.
The
summer
target goal for applied water is one inch (1”) per
week. If you are watering two days a week, that is .5 inches per
day. Average water outputs are as follows:
Type
Average Output
Spray Nozzles
1.5 inches/hour
Rotor Heads
.6 inches/hour
Rotary Nozzles
.4 inches/hour
To get .5 inches of water for the above listed:
Spray Nozzles
20 minutes
Rotor Heads
50 minutes
Rotary Nozzles
75 minutes
It is important to remember that these are guidelines, and that
each yard is different. Consider these run times a starting point
and adjust them as necessary, hopefully downward.
c. Determine Start Times
To avoid water runoff, it is advised that multiple start times be
considered. Three start times are recommended for the above
run times, making the programmed run times as follows:
Spray Nozzles
6 minutes
Rotor Heads
16 minutes
Rotary Nozzles
25 minutes
Calculate the total run time for all stations on the program to
determine the proper separation between start times. For ex-
ample, if the total program run time is 2 hours and 17 minutes,
appropriate start times would be midnight, 2:30 a.m. and 5 a.m.
d. Water Days
The actual days that watering can occur are determined by the
City of Georgetown. The system is based on the last digit of the
address for the location of the controller.
Two Days per Week
Even numbers – Wednesday and/or Sunday
Odd Numbers – Tuesday and/or Saturday
No watering may occur on Mondays.
e. Rain Sensor
All controllers installed on homes after January 1, 2009, should
be equipped with a rain sensor by state law. The rain sensor
can suspend irrigation after a rain event up to 48 hours if condi-
tions are right; however, 24 hours is typical. There should be
a switch on the face of the controller allowing the sensor to be
active
or
bypassed
. Make sure that this switch is on. Other
types of sensors are available and should be wired in series to
allow control from the face switch.
Return the dial to the
Auto
or
Run
position to engage the
program.
The Spring Vendor Fair was well attended and enjoyed
by many. The Fall Vendor Fair will take place on Friday,
September 19. For a complete list of upcoming fairs in 2014,
see page 15.
Gone for the summer?
Forward your
Sun Rays
!
If you are leaving town for the summer and want to have your
Sun Rays
forwarded to you, please change your address to your
new, temporary location at the CA Member Services Office.
The magazine will be sent to the new address by first-class
mail. If you have questions about this process, please contact
the Communications Office.
The
Sun Rays
is also available online at
.
PHOTO BY MAGGI JONES
