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WaterSense: Meets EPA Critera WaterSense Seal An EPA Partnership Program

WaterSense Labeled Irrigation Controllers

Irrigation Controllers

Residential outdoor water use in the United States accounts for more than 9 billion gallons of water each day, mainly for landscape irrigation. Experts estimate that as much as 50 percent of this water is wasted due to overwatering caused by inefficiencies in irrigation methods and systems. Irrigation control technologies can significantly reduce overwatering by applying water only when plants need it.

Irrigation controllers are like thermastats for your yard, significantly reducing your home’s outdoor water use.

Smart Watering

WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers, which act like a thermostat for your sprinkler system telling it when to turn on and off, use local weather and landscape conditions to tailor watering schedules to actual conditions on the site. Instead of irrigating using a controller with a clock and a preset schedule, WaterSense labeled controllers allow watering schedules to better match plants' water needs. With proper installation, programming, and maintenance, homeowners and businesses can use WaterSense labeled controllers instead of standard clock-timer controllers on their existing systems, and no longer worry about wasted water.

WaterSense Savings

Replacing a standard clock timer with a WaterSense labeled irrigation controller can save an average home nearly 8,800 gallons of water annually. If every home in the United States with an automatic sprinkler system installed and properly operated a WaterSense labeled controller, we could save $435 million in water costs and 120 billion gallons of water across the country annually from not overwatering lawns and landscapes. That's equal to the annual household water needs of nearly 1.3 million average American homes. WaterSense labeled controllers can also be a water–smart solution for larger landscapes (1 pg, 754.4KB, About PDF), including such as schools, hotels, and office buildings.

WaterSense Logo

Look for the WaterSense Label!

To earn the WaterSense label, landscape irrigation controllers must be able to adequately meet the watering needs of a landscape without overwatering. As with all other WaterSense labeled products, WaterSense labeled controllers will be independently certified to ensure that they meet the WaterSense criteria for efficiency and performance.

Read the Weather-Based Irrigation Controller Fact Sheet (1 pg, 442K, About PDF) for more information.

Technical Information

Interested in finding out more about the final specifications for weather-based irrigation controllers? Please visit the Weather-Based Irrigation Controller Specification page for more detailed information.

For information on labeled controllers, their benefits and function, read the WaterSense Labeled Weather–Based Irrigation Controller Mini Report (4 pg, 1.59MB, About PDF).

Manufacturers, retailers, and distributors that produce or sell weather-based irrigation controllers are welcome to become a WaterSense partner.

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