17 Best Irrigation Tools to Save More Water

Did you know outdoor water usage alone comes to around 9 billion gallons daily in the US? This water mainly goes into landscape irrigation. What matters more is that as much as 50% of this water is wasted due to the inefficiencies in the traditional irrigation systems. 

Ensuring that the right amount of water is distributed to the right places at the right time is an entire job—it’s a constant battle to optimally use water. 

And that’s exactly why you need smart irrigation tools. These intelligent systems will help you ensure you’re using the right amount of water and significantly reduce any water waste. 

This article will guide you through the 17 best irrigation tools to save water so you can make the right choice effectively. Let’s begin, shall we? 

Top 17 Irrigation Tools for Every Contractor

The right irrigation tools will help you save time and energy while ensuring that your lawns and landscapes get the water they need. These top 17 best irrigation tools and equipment will also help you save more water.

1. Smart sprinkler

Smart sprinklers effectively replace traditional systems. They come with advanced sensors and enable you to use the plant and weather data app for information you need to water properly. This controller adjusts to your watering patterns and the weather. You can operate it via phone, laptop, or tablet, turn it on/off, and adjust the watering areas. 

With a controller that intelligently optimizes your irrigation equipment, it becomes easier to maintain a healthy landscape.

With this irrigation tool, watering is as simple as pushing a button. You’ll never have to worry about whether or not you’re providing the right amount of water. As the intelligent controller automatically adjusts to weather conditions, you’ll start saving significant money on your utility bill.

2. Remote water meter reader

Water meter readers are one of the best tools to track water consumption.

These devices can read and transmit water meter readings remotely, so you don’t have to worry about getting out in the field and manually checking your water flow meters. The water flow meters emit pulses that the meter reader captures.

Water is one of the biggest problems for contractors in irrigation, and meter readers are an efficient way of tracking daily water consumption and limiting wastage.

3. Soil moisture sensor

If you aim to save water, soil moisture sensors should be on your list of irrigation tools. 

This device measures the volumetric water content in soil (to determine the quantity of water in the soil) and tells you how much water is necessary for adequate nourishment. Using this, you can avoid over-watering and leaching fertilizers into the ground.

Knowing the exact soil moisture content of the ground will help you save water by correctly determining when your next irrigation cycle should occur.

You can even connect the soil moisture sensor to an irrigation clock converting it into an intelligent irrigation controller that prevents irrigation cycles when the soil is already wet (via a recent rainfall, for example).

4. Irrigation controller

Irrigation controllers are used to operating automatic irrigation equipment such as lawn sprinklers. Most controllers allow you to set the watering frequency, start time, and duration.

Irrigation controllers allow you to schedule when your sprinklers will come on and off—you can set them up, so they don’t come on for certain times of the day. They help save water by allowing you to turn off your sprinkler system when you’re not using it using pre-determined settings, which means less water is wasted, and more energy is saved.

Irrigation controllers also allow you to set what weather conditions can trigger your sprinklers to turn on or off.

5. Rain and freeze sensors

Wasting water during a rain event can cause runoff, which wastes money and causes damage to your landscapes.

It also results in an increase in evapotranspiration and heat gain, which can harm plants. 

Rain and freeze sensors can help you here by interrupting the irrigation cycle when it’s unnecessary—for example, during a rain event or freeze. 

6. Pressure regulator

The pressure of incoming water is a massive problem for drip irrigation equipment. If you’re using drip irrigation, applying too much water pressure can damage your system, not just your plants.

Excessively high incoming water pressure will cause the emitters or fittings in your drip system to wear out faster and reduce the flow rate, which means less water will be delivered to your plants.

The solution? Prefer drip systems that use pressure regulators for monitoring flow rate and lowering incoming water pressure. You can be assured that pressure regulation will not take effect until a minimum specified flow is passed through the regulator.

7. Splicing couplers

Drip irrigation is prone to leakage caused by birds, insects, or pests like rodents. Such leakage causes water wastage. You can fix the leakage issues by splicing couplers in your drip irrigation system.

Splicing couplers are used to splice two pipes together with a coupler. So instead of a dented pipe causing leakage, you can use a coupler to connect two efficient pipes. This will fix all leakages due to faulty pipes and prevent water wastage. 

8. Inline valves

If you’re looking for the perfect way to expand, clean, and maintain your irrigation system, look no further than a barbed inline valve. These valves are designed to work with poly pipes, and you can use them to control the water flow in your system.

Barbed Inline Valves are also beneficial for controlling water pressure in your irrigation system, so you do not spend more and waste water. It is helpful to keep a constant flow of water throughout the season without any stoppages—like during storms or heavy rains.

9. Pressure compensating dripper

The Pressure Compensating Dripper is a must-have for any lawn or landscape with a poly irrigation system.

It’s a small and efficient way to ensure that the lawns and landscape receive the necessary water. You can install the pressure compensating dripper in the poly pipe and use it in tight spaces or where it’s hard to reach. 

It helps you precisely distribute water and nutrients throughout your field. It also promotes a uniform flow of water so you can trust that the plants receive exact amounts of water and nutrients in long runs and uneven topographies, eliminating all instances of water wastage. 

10. Micro spray

If you’re looking for an irrigation tool that can give the right amount of water to your garden bed but not waste it, then micro spray should be your choice.

The adjustable flow rate of micro spray allows you to control the throw distance of water, minimizing potential water wastage. It comes with a 180° or 360º spray pattern, so you can choose what best suits your needs. A threaded end allows your watering wand to be screwed into Rigid Riser Tube, allowing you to store the watering rod out of the way when not in use.

11. Wind sensors

When you’re watering a lawn or garden, there’s nothing more frustrating than seeing your water runoff before it can do its job. 

Did you know windy weather can reduce water infiltration into the soil profile?

The system prevents water from leaking into pedestrian paths and roadways by shutting down irrigation when wind speeds increase. Wind sensors shut off irrigation systems during periods of high wind and then automatically reset them when conditions are more favorable, thereby preventing all potential water wastage.

12. Rain gauge

If you’re watering the garden with an automatic irrigation system in the rainy season, it can be difficult to tell if you’re watering too much or not enough, and how much water to deliver. That’s where a rain gauge comes in handy. 

By measuring the rainfall after each and comparing it to past measurements, you can determine how much it has rained and optimize your irrigation system accordingly.

A rain gauge will help you avoid water wastage and root rot by giving accurate measurements to adjust your irrigation schedule.

13. Leak detection kit

Leaking sprinkler systems waste water and money. Leak detection kits can help you find the location of costly leaks in your system so you can fix them before they cost you more than they should.

The kit includes a series of valves inside the device that generate a pulsing action when the water flows through the sprinkler system. The pulse delivers vibrations to your ear that you use to map out the system’s plumbing lines and listen for any evidence of costly leaks. Monitoring flow rate can also help farmers discover such problems. 

14. Deep root irrigator

If you’re looking for a way to water your trees, you should consider a root zone irrigator. These are designed to get water to the roots of your trees, where it’s needed most. 

Its focused action helps you direct water where it’s needed instead of wasting water in hopes that it will eventually deeply water roots too. 

You can use them on all types of compact soil surfaces, and they’re perfect for helping your flower beds, plants, trees, bushes, and shrubs build robust root systems.

A root irrigator is an excellent addition to any lawn sprinkler system as it helps keep lawns and landscapes (and your landscaping business) healthy all year round.

15. Low flow sprinkler head

Low flow sprinklers head can reduce water use by up to 30% compared to traditional sprays. The slow application rate allows water to gently soak into the soil with an even water distribution throughout the irrigated area. 

This application rate also allows soil to absorb moisture and nutrients more efficiently, resulting in healthier plants.

With multiple streams of water, it is one of the must-have sprinkler tools for efficiently watering turf, shrubs, trees, row crops, orchards, and vineyards.

16. Plastic mulch

Plastic mulches are thin films spread on the ground. Holes are poked at regular intervals in these films for planting seeds. The films remain as is over the entire duration of cultivation. 

They are a great way to save water, get an early harvest, maintain consistent humidity and temperature of the soil, prevent the growth of weeds, and avoid erosion.

Plastic mulches are proven to conserve water as they significantly reduce the evaporation of moisture from the upper layer of the soil. This means the soil would require less water, leading to reduced water consumption and wastage.

17. Poly pipe irrigation

Poly pipe irrigation is an innovative and low-cost alternative to traditional flood irrigation systems. These systems can lessen costs, increase quality and productivity, and, most importantly, decrease water usage. 

You can adjust water flow on a seasonal basis and manage the distance between gates to meet the water and spacing requirements of different plants. This system uses 50% less water than flood irrigation and comes at half the price of other drip irrigation systems. 

These are one of the underrated irrigation tools, and you can use them if you like a more manual approach.

Conclusion

The amount of water that’s wasted during irrigation is shocking. Proper irrigation work doesn’t have to waste tons of water. Using efficient techniques and proper tools can help you irrigate adequately while saving money and water. These right tools and equipment will prepare you for almost any situation you may encounter and fulfill your motive without wasting water. 

Moreover, if you are running an irrigation business and looking for software to automate the operations like daily job scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and receiving payments, then FieldCamp is here to serve. It will make managing your daily tasks smoother and easier than ever. To know how it benefits your business, start your 7-day FREE trial.