2004/01/14 Council Agenda Packet

- 3 Edmonds School District No. 15 Maintenance and Operations Department To: Greg Moore, City of Everett Water Department From: Raymond Tjepkes, Grounds Assistant ForemanPr Re: Irrigation Central Controller Estimate Thank you for the opportunity to update, modernize and improve our water use effectiveness. The most important part of that water use effectiveness is the ability to measure actual water needs and water only as necessary to meet the needs of the plants in one's landscape. This is achieved through measuring real time evapotrasporation (ET) rates and natural precipitation rates and watering accordingly. The City of Everett Parks Department utilizes the Rainbird Maxi-Com system to do this as do Portland Parks, Microsoft and many other users (see enclosed sheets from Rainbird). A central control system is one of the primary recommendations of the Seattle Water Department for saving water. This is the next logical step to leverage the audits and upgrades that we had performed last year. A central control system for the Edmonds School District moves us from best guess and seasonal averages to real time ET need based water usage. Maxi-Com monitors actual weather conditions and downloads each night the time to be watered. By measuring actual ET and precipitation, it tells the irrigation clock to water only the amount that is needed. The best example is a complete rain delay, where it has rained enough to replace the water that is needed by the plant material. We often have July or August thunderstorms. In the case of an August thunderstorm or rainfall, a rain delay would save approximately 68000 gallons of water at Mountlake Terrace High School, based on the audit numbers from last year. Meadowdale High School would save about the same number of gallons. Just as important is the daily application of irrigation only when it is needed. A cloudy day needs less water than a full sun day and Maxi-Com accounts for all of the factors and adjusts accordingly. Thus, when it is hot and dry and the seasonal average which we are using at Mountlake Terrace and Meadowdale High Schools falls short of the actual ET At this time I have an estimate from United Pipe and Supply to upgrade Mountlake Terrace High School and Meadowdale High School, the two schools that have been audited and upgraded, is as follows: MC2Gold1 Central Controller w/Maxicom2 1 $ 9951.00 $ 9951.00 CCU6W 6 Channels Wall Mount 2 2773.40 5546.80 ESPMIB2 ESP-MC to SAT Conversion 6 495.00 2970.00 Sub Total 18467.80 Tax 1680.57 Miscellaneous parts for installation (est.) 500.00 $20648.37 12