Experimental Design Experimental Design Residential Residential - - PDF document

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Evaluation of Evaluation of Sensor Sensor Based Based Residential Residential Irrigation Water Irrigation Water Application Application

Melissa B. Haley Melissa B. Haley

Agricultural & Biological Engineering Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Michael D. Dukes Michael D. Dukes

Agricultural & Biological Engineering Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Experimental Design Experimental Design

• Residential

Residential Cooperators Cooperators

– Palm Harbor Florida Palm Harbor Florida

– Historical water use Historical water use – Landscape level Landscape level

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Experimental Design Experimental Design

All homes have the following All homes have the following

Automatic in Automatic in‐ground irrigation ground irrigation Water and irrigation meters Water and irrigation meters Automatic meter recording device Automatic meter recording device

Experimental Experimental Treatments Treatments

Homes are subdivided into 4 groupings Homes are subdivided into 4 groupings

1.

• 1. Monitoring

Monitoring only…………………………….….

• nly…………………………….….

2.

• 2. Current irrigation system

Current irrigation system plus rain sensor (6 mm plus rain sensor (6 mm)……………………….. )……………………….. 3.

• 3. Current irrigation system plus rain

Current irrigation system plus rain

+ + +

g y p g y p sensor and educational sensor and educational materials………... materials………... 4.

• 4. Current irrigation system plus a

Current irrigation system plus a soil moisture soil moisture sensor………………………....... sensor……………………….......

+ + +

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Timer

Common Hot

Water

Valve

Water

Timer Rain Sensor

Common

Switch

Hot

Water Water Water

Valve

Water

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Timer Rain Sensor

Common

Switch

Hot

Water

Valve

Water W

Timer SMS Controller

Common

Switch

Hot

Water Water

S

• il Moisture S

ensor (S MS )

Water

Valve

Water

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Timer SMS Controller

Common

Switch

Hot

S

• il Moisture S

ensor (S MS )

Water

Valve

Water W

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Turf Quality Turf Quality

• Turf Quality ratings based on NTEP procedures (1‐9

scale) 1 d d t f – 1 dead turf – 5 minimally acceptable turf quality – 9 perfect density and color

Observed monthly precipitation (avg. of four weather stations) for the treatment period compared to historic monthly mean precipitation (St. Petersburg, FL)

300 150 200 250 Precipitation (mm) 50 100 Nov‐06 Feb‐07 May‐07 Aug‐07 Nov‐07 Feb‐08 May‐08 Aug‐08 Nov‐08 Observed Precipitation Historic Mean Precipitation (1971‐2008)

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Estimated water use statistics two years prior to the study beginning, used for treatment determination.

Estimated Irrigation Water Application Depth (in/30d) Estimated Irrigation Water Volume Usage (gal/30d) Quartile Average Min. Max. Average Min. Max. Low 1.2 0.8 1.4 5,029 1,875 9,000 Medium 2.4 1.6 3.4 9,999 4,281 17,063 High 5.3 3.6 8.4 19,517 6,719 33,000

Distribution Uniformity

• f Cooperating Homes

9% 13% 13% 9% 17% 0%

Fail (DU < 0.40) Poor (0.40-0.49) Fair (0.50-0.59) Good (0.60-0.69) Very Good (0.70-0.74) Very Good Excellent Fail Poor Fair

39%

Excellent (0.75-0.84) Exceptional (DU > 0.85) Good

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2 60 70

Results from Results from treatment designation treatment designation through through Dec ‘09 Dec ‘09

4 6 8 10 12 30 40 50

y Effective Precipitation (inches) ation Application (inches)

14% 45%

14 16 18 20 10 20 Nov‐06 Feb‐07 May‐07 Sep‐07 Dec‐07 Mar‐08 Jul‐08 Oct‐08 Jan‐09

Monthly Irrig

Effective Rainfall SMS EDU+RS RS WOS

65%

5 25 30

Results Results for 2008 only for 2008 only

10 15 20 10 15 20 Monthly Effective Precipitation (in) Irrigation Application (in)

20% 24% 65%

25 30 5 Jan Feb Apr Jun Jul Sep Oct Dec Effective Rainfall SMS EDU RS MO

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Automatic Meter Recorded Data Automatic Meter Recorded Data

• Data‐loggers installed at all homes

– Attached to existing water meter – Installation in May 2007 – Water use data collection interval

• Initially 10 minute
• Now collecting hourly

Average Number of Average Number of Irrigation Events per Month Irrigation Events per Month

Number of Irrigation Events Iactual

Z

NY Max Min Std Dev CV Icalc

T

(#S/mth) (#) (#/mth) (#/mth) (#/month) (%) (#/month) entR SMS 2.1cQ 185 11 2.8 136 S 4 19 22 6 114 Treatme 4 RS 4.7a 195 22 5.6 114 MO 5.2a 173 29 6.5 125 EDU 3.6b 187 20 4.1 113 SeasonP by Year 2007 Spring

__N __ __ __ __ __ __

Summer 2.1 32 21 4.3 210 5 Fall 4.5 81 29 6.7 153 4 Winter 4.1 46 21 4.9 137 2 008 Spring 5.6a 144 29 5.6 109 7 Summer 4.1b 138 26 5.0 135 3 F ll 2 8 117 20 3 6 143 5 S 2 Fall 2.8c 117 20 3.6 143 5 Winter 3.5bc 138 29 4.7O 151 2 Note: Uppercase superscript letters indicate footnotes.

Z Monthly average number of irrigation events applied. Y N = number of observations in the comparison. T Number of irrigation events per month, calculated from the SWB. S Conversion: 1 inch = 25.4 mm R Treatments are: SMS, time-based controller plus soil moisture sensor system; RS, time-based controller plus

rain sensor; MO, time-based controller only; EDU, time-based controller plus rain sensor and educational

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SMS SMS Home Home Rain Sensor Rain Sensor + + Edu Edu Home Home

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Rain Sensor Rain Sensor Home Home

50 100 150 200 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 Monthly Precipitation (mm) Irrigation Application (mm) 50 100 150 200 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 Monthly Precipitation (mm) Irrigation Application (mm)

SMS SMS Homes Homes RS RS Homes Homes

250 20 250 20 50 140 160 180 200 n (mm) n (mm) 50 140 160 180 200 n (mm) (mm)

Meter Only Meter Only H RS + RS + Edu Edu. . Homes Homes

100 150 200 250 20 40 60 80 100 120 Monthly Precipitation Irrigation Application 100 150 200 250 20 40 60 80 100 120 Monthly Precipitation Irrigation Application Effective Rainfall Actual Irr. Applied Calculated Irr. Need

Homes Homes Homes Homes

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Summary Summary

• The soil moisture sensor group

– has statistically the lowest cumulative and mean has statistically the lowest cumulative and mean irrigation application – least number of weekly irrigation events

• By inspection of the frequency of the irrigation

events for each treatment (from AMR data)

– the soil moisture sensor effectively bypasses irrigation – the soil moisture sensor effectively bypasses irrigation events

• this is the only treatment in which the range of monthly

irrigation events is successfully governed

Next Household Phase Lessons Learned

• Location

S i i – Socioeconomics – Neighborhood aesthetics

• Educational Materials

– Type – Distribution

• Method
• Timing
• Water Source Watering Day Restrictions

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Thank You

I will gladly answer any questions… This research was supported by the Pinellas‐ Anclote Basin Board of the Southwest Water Acknowledgements Robert Peacock, Sean Hannigan, Diane Weaver, and Sheryl Powers from the Pinellas County Utilities Anclote Basin Board of the Southwest Water Management District, the Florida Department

• f Agriculture, and the Florida Nursery

Growers and Landscape Association. y Conservation Department, and from the University of Florida, F. Wayne Williams, Bernard Cardenas‐Lailhacar, Mary Shedd McCready, Stacia Davis, Daniel Rutland, Eban Bean, and Kristen Femminella for their assistance and on this project.

Average irrigated areas for each of the treatments.

Irrigated Area (ft2) Treatment Mean Med Min Max SMS 5,318 5,176 2,018 8,605 RS 7,279 5,919 3,899 18,976 MO 7 118 6 559 2 929 12 773 MO 7,118 6,559 2,929 12,773 EDU 6,113 6,042 2,788 10,736