Water Auditing

You go to the Doctor for a yearly check-up, and you take your car to the mechanic for a regular tune up. A sprinkler system also benefits from a regular inspection of its operation.

While the term auditing is fairly new to the industry, professional irrigators and users of sprinkler systems have been performing the essential functions of auditing for years. Auditing basically means the inspection of a system once it has been placed into operation to verify the proper operation of each system component, the uniformity of the coverage provided and to determine the appropriate water-efficient irrigation schedule.

The visual inspection of a system while it is operating, and the placement of measurement "catch cans" within the coverage area of each zone as a means to measure uniformity of coverage, is the primary way an auditor measures a system.

Evaluation of plant material within the zone, depth of active roots, soil consistency and evapotranspiration rates are all factors that ultimately determine the results of a complete irrigation system audit.

Simpler audits can be conducted for smaller sites, like homes and small commercial sites that have less complex irrigation systems. A sprinkler system audit mainly consists of a visual inspection, monitoring water usage in each zone, and estimating how many gallons per minute are used by the system. These inspections can be helpful when the owner of a system is concerned about efficiency and proper coverage.

The City can make recommendations about upgrading equipment and may even suggest a program for the system controller that can reduce water usage. They will not do repairs or change equipment, however, getting an independent opinion may give you an opportunity to discuss your system without fear of buying an unneeded repair or revision.

The Irrigation Association, a national organization and Texas A&M University have a Certified Water Auditing Program that allows irrigators to become trained in the field of system analysis. These Certified Auditors can offer a thorough audit of your system and can implement repairs and revisions that can improve performance of most systems. If you are outside the city jurisdiction, they can provide audit assistance.