Desert landscaping will fail without proper water management because rapid evaporation of water from irrigation systems or hand watering can lead to dehydration and heat stress, and improper watering patterns can contribute to shallow rot systems, structural instability, and toxic soil. Complete Landscaping offers comprehensive commercial irrigation system services, including irrigation inspections, maintenance, and tune-ups and professional irrigation repair in Tucson, AZ. Here is our guide to checking your irrigation system before the summer heat arrives, and the importance of water-wise irrigation measures in the desert.
Common Irrigation Risks in Tucson Summers
First, you should be aware of the biggest risks to irrigation systems and watering patterns in the summer:
- Calcified emitters, leading to plugged drip lines
- Heat-damaged and brittle irrigation tubing and hoses
- Hidden underground leaks
- Heat-stressed and malfunctioning irrigation valves
- Shallow nighttime watering
- Rapid water evaporation
- Neglecting to adjust your watering system for changes in weather and temperature, such as the Monsoon season rains
- Maintaining a static watering schedule
- Ignoring weeds and pests
- Neglecting to invest in soil conditioning, mulching, or shade structures to minimize evaporation, nutrient loss, and heat gain
Importance of Water Conservation in the Desert
Tucson is in the Sonoran Desert, which means water conservation is crucial for preserving our finite, rapidly depleting groundwater reserves and protecting fragile ecosystems. Maintaining a water-wise irrigation system and sustainable, native desert landscaping can preserve the stability of our desert ecosystem for future generations.
Water-Wise Irrigation Tips
Our team has decades of experience and can help you implement water-wise irrigation to protect the health of your plants and the beauty of the desert. We recommend that you:
- Install a smart irrigation system and utilize automated sensors and schedules
- Use pressure-compensating emitters
- Implement landscaping zones to conserve resources
- Water before dawn to prevent evaporation
How to Conduct a Smart Irrigation Audit and Inspection
Complete Landscaping can conduct a smart irrigation audit and inspection to identify risks, failures, and future issues that could affect your water usage, efficiency, and plant health. We use a detailed checklist to assess the age, condition, location, and performance of all irrigation components. Our checklist includes:
- Testing transformers and solenoid resistance
- Inspecting sensor units
- Performing hydraulic testing and catch-cup testing
- Checking electrical connections and backup batteries for signs of broken wires or faulty solenoids
- Testing static pressure
- Installing regulators, emitters, connectors, and other components
- Conducting a leak detection inspection
- Flushing lines and hoses
- Unclogging hoses and emitters
- Straightening sprinkler heads
- Replacing damaged or worn out components
- Running a timed test
- Installing smart valves and sensors and adjusting irrigation schedules
Call Complete Landscaping for a Sprinkler System Check in Arizona
Complete Landscaping is committed to helping businesses implement water efficient landscaping for commercial properties in Arizona. We offer comprehensive commercial irrigation services, and will ensure your system is inspected using commercial-grade diagnostics and maintained and repaired for optimal efficiency, performance, and longevity. We also offer custom irrigation system design, ensuring water-wise irrigation design and using smart tech and weather-based smart controllers like Hydrawise and Weathermatic. Now is the perfect time to schedule preventive irrigation maintenance before summer heat and storms, though we also offer rapid storm response and turkey commercial irrigation solutions. Call us today at (520) 675-1754 or contact us online to set up an initial consultation.