Programming your irrigation

You can save litres of water and also avoid fines for breaching watering restrictions if you properly set your irrigation controller. However you can't just set it and forget it.

However you can’t just set it and forget it. Making sure you regularly replace back up batteries and checking the system is correctly programmed for your watering days is very important. Power outages can effect what you have programmed and is not an excuse for not complying with your watering days.

Basic controller features

Stations

The station controls the valves that release the water to the irrigation zones in your yard or garden.

Start time

This is the time at which a specific valve will open to irrigate a station or zone.

Run time or station duration

This is the time, in minutes, a specific valve will say open and therefore water a zone.

Off or stop

This will stop programs from running until you toggle back to ‘run’. Your programs will be saved – a great option during rainy periods.

Manual

This button allows you to run a single valve for the amount of time you select. This is helpful when you want to tune-up your irrigation system and check for leaks, misaligned sprinkler heads, or clogged drip emitters. Although there are rules around testing your irrigation so ensure you understand these before commencing.

Program

This is where you can store all your settings. It consists of a set of stations set to specific start times and run times. The features above are just basic irrigation controller features. For more specific instructions, look for the manual for your specific irrigation controller at the Watershed Website.