district standardization of calsense irrigation control system
DESCRIPTION
SDCCD is actively conserving and monitoring water consumption and practicing effective storm water management. By using waterless and low-flow fixtures, water consumption is reduced by approximately 40% compared to buildings using standard fixtures. The use of high-efficiency irrigation and drought-tolerant landscaping has reduced the consumption of water for irrigation by hundreds of thousands of gallons annually, far exceeding the City’s mandates for water conservation. At Miramar College, reclaimed water is used for irrigation and for flushing toilets.TRANSCRIPT
SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
District Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control System
Presented toPresented to 9th Annual CA Higher Education Sustainability Conference
June 21, 2010
SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control SystemBackgroundIn order to comply with regional requirements for water conservation and
to reduce water costs, SDCCD prioritized implementation of a standardized
irrigation control system.
By using grants from CalFed and the local water agency, SDCCD was able
l l f h l h b d lto pilot a year‐long test of the Calsense weather‐based control system at
each of the campuses, selecting a variety of surfaces and environments.
C l l d l f h h i di d i ld hCalsense was selected as a result of research that indicated it would have a
higher level of reliability than other existing irrigation control systems.
SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control SystemResults of Pilot ProgramData from a year‐long pilot, conducted October
2008 through October 2009, showed that the
System helped reduce water use by about 40% –
a savings to the District of over 37 million gallons.
That’s the equivalent of about 113 acre‐feet –
h f l f !enough water for 450 people for a year!
Calsense is now used as the District standard forCalsense is now used as the District standard for
all new construction projects, as approved by
SDCCD’s Board of Trustees on December 10 2009SDCCD s Board of Trustees on December 10, 2009.
SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control SystemSignificant Features
• Calsense system projects an overall average water savings of 30%, although savings of up to 45% were obtained in some locations.
• Catastrophic main line breaks can be detected down to a single irrigation head. g g
• Automatic alerts are sent out to alert staff of possible breaks.
SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control SystemSignificant Features
• Controllers measure evaporation transpiration (IT), rain fall utilizing a ‘rain bucket’ and include a soil moisture sensor.
• When sufficient moisture is detected, the system temporarily shuts down. As moisture measurements indicate water is again needed, the system restarts.
• Irrigation controllers for the entire• Irrigation controllers for the entire District can be monitored from a central location.
SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control SystemGetting the Buy‐InIn identifying pilot projects, the District
looked strategically at irrigation areas with
historically higher water consumption.
One of the first projects was the baseball
field at Mesa College.
With the installation of the Calsense system,
the amount of the water used at the fieldthe amount of the water used at the field
was reduced by 15‐20%, a dramatic amount
for sports turf.
SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control SystemGetting the Buy‐InInstead of using water believed to be ‘needed’, ground crews now
have and use daily accurate moisture measurements to water to
exact needs.
Selecting sports turf as a pilot project resulted in greater and fasterg p p p j g
buy‐in from the grounds crews, and help motivate teams at other
campuses to begin testing the system themselves.
SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control SystemWater Efficiency
• In 2009, the District used 93,000,000 gallons of water.
• Approximately 60% was used for landscaping (55,800,00 gallons)
• Calsense projected 30% reduction in water use, a savings of 16,740,000 gallons.
• Retrofits underway district‐wide.
ll d• In six controlled irrigation zones, SDCCD has saved 4,695,500 gallons of water, leading to cost savings of nearly $38,000.g g y
SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control SystemImplementation Benefits
• System’s ability to shut down when a break in a line is detected has prevented costly waterline is detected has prevented costly water waste.
• Programming options allow staff to program• Programming options allow staff to program evaporation transpiration (ET) for each individual station within a zone, based on li iclimate, vegetation, etc.
SDCCD Standardization of Calsense Irrigation Control SystemImplementation Benefits
• System has enabled District to meet and exceed stringent local waterand exceed stringent local water conservation mandates
• Lawn water use has dropped by 45%• Lawn water use has dropped by 45%
• In landscape areas where turf has been converted to xeriscape waterbeen converted to xeriscape, water usage has been reduced by 75%
SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Questions?
Deb CanningDeb CanningRegional Facilities Officer
San Diego Community College Districtg y gMesa College
[email protected](619) 388-2814