High efficiency sprinkler head nozzles help keep more water on the intended target. Image: friscogreenliving.com

By Bill Sullivan

As Director of Public Works for the City of Frisco, Gary Hartwell spends a lot of time thinking about water. He even goes so far as to take the job home, using his own irrigation system, landscaping and yard as a test site for new equipment and ideas. Over the past few years, “smart” controllers have come and gone, but one part of his system remained constant.

“I’ve always had the standard spray heads and some rotors in my backyard,” he said.

A few months ago, Hartwell decided to test yet another controller. In the course of making the change, the manufacturer’s representative mentioned a new product: high efficiency spray nozzles that insure that more of the water you try to put on your lawn actually ends up there.

To prove his point, the rep offered to switch out Hartwell’s nozzles, starting with the ones closest to the curb in front of his Frisco home. Even with nozzles properly positioned, wind commonly caught spray and blew it onto the pavement, often into little rivers that made their wasteful way down the block.

Hartwell didn’t have to wait long for results. “Once we switched those out, there was no longer overspray,” he said. “Right there, I saw that these things really work.”

New sprinkler nozzles cut down on water loss to wind. Image: friscogreenliving.com

The difference? High efficiency nozzles deliver bigger droplets. The extra weight helps prevent those droplets from being carried off course by hot summer breezes. According to Hartwell’s rep, the new nozzles land about 85 percent of their payload on the desired areas. On a windy day, the manufacturer estimates, old nozzles may deliver 50 percent or less.

Each of the major irrigation system manufacturers (Hunter, Toro and Rain Bird) offers high efficiency models. They’re a bit more expensive — $5 per nozzle as opposed to about $1 for an older model – but a typical yard with, say, eight stations with six sprinkler heads each could be refitted for just $240. Residents who water more than others would probably see some cash savings, while those who more closely follow city recommendations would get more actual irrigation for their buck.

If you’re interested in making the switch, you’ll have to make some adjustments to your watering schedule.  The high efficiency nozzles put out water at a rate of about ½ inch per hour, compared to older nozzles that deliver about 1.2 inches per hour. That will mean adjusting your system to run twice as long, or slightly more.

In the hot, dry summer of 2011, every drop counts. That led to some phone calls to the city when residents noticed water running down the streets from irrigation efforts, particularly along medians, near The Bridges.

“They have hundreds, if not thousands of heads in that entire area,” Hartwell said. “It’s just the nature of the beast: When you put spray heads next to driving lanes and throw in some wind, that’s going to happen.”

Hartwell decided to call The Bridges and ask if they would be interested in being part of a pilot study. Soon enough, representatives from The Bridges, Hunter, Toro, Rain Bird and the City of Frisco were meeting at Frisco Public Works. The group focused on the median at the intersection of Parkwood and Gaylord and decided to experiment  there.

Hartwell took “Before and After” pictures, which he brought to a recent City Council meeting.

Before	After

“In the “After” pictures, you had to look closely to see that these things were operating,” he said. “They just don’t have the spray and the spray’s not getting caught in the wind.”

A week later, Hartwell learned that The Bridges purchased 216 of the new nozzles and installed them in areas residents had complained about the most.

“It has worked extremely well for us,” said Scott Barkley, who oversees irrigation at The Bridges. “We were having a lot of problems with water in the streets and water being blown around by the wind, and we were getting a lot of complaints.

“Now, we’ve got no more problems with the wind, and no running water. It’s worked great.”

(For residents concerned about The Bridges wasting Frisco water, a caveat: The Bridges development is on a well of its own and doesn’t draw from Frisco’s supply. As such, the company is not subject to Frisco water policy.)

Following up on the success with The Bridges, the City is considering incorporating high efficiency nozzles in upcoming landscape projects. A rebate program is also a possibility, allowing homeowners to make the switch with even less upfront investment.

Meanwhile, Hartwell enjoys a lush, green lawn while adhering to the City’s current weekly watering recommendations. He is using his smart controller as a regular controller set to run the suggested two days a week.

So far, he has converted all but one of his zones to the new nozzles. It doesn’t take long, he says, to notice the difference.

“I was out in my backyard last week,” he said. “There was some wind.

“When Zone 8 comes on, all of a sudden there was water going against my fence and blowing everywhere. I could actually see how much water wasn’t going on my backyard from those rotors, when essentially every drop from the high efficiency nozzles was going on my yard.”