By Rob Hallwachs and Lynn Lipinski

Radio shock-jock Howard Stern isn’t the only thing being beamed from satellites these days. Some “smart” sprinkler control boxes at homes and businesses in California are now getting weather data and watering directions from outer space.

Some smart controllers are connected to sensors in your yard that measure soil moisture, solar radiation, temperature and rainfall. Another type uses historical weather data for your area to project the amount of water needed. And some receive daily data by satellite or the Internet from a network of 120 weather stations.

Never heard of a smart sprinkler controller? Join the club. A recent study conducted among Southern California homeowners found that only 15 percent had heard of this technology; and only 5 percent knew there were rebates available for them.

An expert dispenses tips at an October 2005 irrigation controller event in Los Angeles. Photo by Ralph Cangialosi

“Because we see tremendous water-saving potential with smart controllers, we are trying to kick start the market for this new tech­nology with an aggressive program to get the word out,” says Andy Hui, who manages Metropolitan Water District’s regional water efficiency programs. “We’ll also be able to see how they work in a variety of residential settings, and get some positive word-of-mouth advertising between neighbors.”

Smart controllers came on to the scene a few years ago, allowing homeowners to benefit from the technologies long used by golf courses and parks to keep landscapes healthy and beautiful. They cost around $400, and replace existing sprinkler system controllers.

Together with the California Department of Water Resources, Metropolitan is implementing one of the largest smart controller retrofit programs in the state, and “our member agencies have already installed 1,500 units in locations ranging from homes to parks and golf courses,” says Carlos Michelon, a resource specialist in the Metropolitan’s Water Resource Management Group.

Currently, about 400 homes in three developments in such communities as Temecula, Sun City and French Valley include smart controllers as standard features as part of the California Friendly™ Landscapes and Model Homes program, says Michelon, who manages both programs as part of a collaborative initiative with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

A few thousand lucky homeowners were able to try them out for free, thanks to a giveaway program sponsored by Metropolitan Water District and its member agencies, and made possible by grant funding from Proposition 13 through the California Department of Water Resources.

Residents swapped their old controllers for new ones at community events or landscaping courses at participating water agencies. An event at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, sponsored by Foothill Municipal Water District and the cities of Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena, drew 500 participants in June.

There are more than 100 models of smart controllers, by 25 manufacturers, on the market, ranging in cost from about $150 to $600. Depending on where you live and what water agencies serve you, you may receive a free smart controller or a substantial (up to $225) rebate.

Go to bewaterwise.com for additional information and to check on rebates in your area.

It took about 15 years for the cell phone to become more commonplace than a fixed telephone line, due in large part to growing familiarity with the technology and lower prices. So in 2020, a sprinkler controller that needs you to tell it what to do will be downright old-fashioned.