Best Management Practices for Irrigation Issuestest

By Brent Mecham

April 2015

The Irrigation Association has worked with recognized irrigation experts to develop best management practices that grounds managers and their organizations can use to more effectively design, install and manage landscape irrigation systems. These practices are designed to:

• raise the bar for more efficient water management for landscapes
• preserve water supplies and protect water quality
• help stakeholders formulate and implement sound water policies, including appropriate codes and standards for effective water stewardship
• help water purveyors, industry professionals and irrigation consumers make more responsible and informed decisions about water use.

Large property owners, as well as some federal and state government agencies, now use this document to improve efficiency on their landscapes. Managers can download a free copy of the best practices at www.irrigation.org/landscapebmps. This document can be a valuable resource for grounds managers looking to install, renovate or more effectively manage irrigation systems, and they can share the practices internally among staff or with outside vendors.

Striving to meet the expectations of so many is a challenging job for grounds managers. But a well-managed landscape provides numerous benefits to the site. Not only is it aesthetically appealing, but the grass, trees, shrubs and flowers provide a cooling effect, control erosion, reduce or mitigate air and sound pollution, clean the air and produce oxygen, sequester carbon, and provide a healthy habitat for wildlife.

Well-managed and properly irrigated landscapes also improve the well-being of visitors and building occupants, provide recreational spaces, and enhance the sense of community. All of these are important, but maintaining this type of environment requires that managers make efficient use of the resources, including water, that are involved in the process.

Brent Mecham is industry development director with the Irrigation Association.