IRRIGATION AND WATER MANAGEMENT
Save big money and use less water
By John C. Fech and Brad R. Jakubowski
Taking a close look pays off. Photo by John C. Fech
One of the most basic yet most important management practices is the efficient delivery of water to the turf and ornamentals on a sports turf facility. While all systems are less than 100 % efficient, implementing various techniques and adjustments will be a significant improvement. In most cases, only a small infusion of cash may be required to reap the rewards of making positive upgrades. An honest look at the system components— from orifices to pump stations to spray patterns— will provide the data to justify the short-term outlay of resources and provide a roadmap to the parts of the system that will produce the greatest return on investment.
SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS“ Significant improvements” and“ positive upgrades” can be explained in several ways, the first of which is basic human nature. Since an entire field of green grass is often thought of as the desired appearance— at least for coaches and spectators— the natural tendency is to run an irrigation system long enough to make sure that every part of a field is green, no matter how long it takes. Although that approach makes sense in a perfect world with perfect equipment, it breaks down quickly when imperfect equipment and less-than-perfect maintenance practices are involved.
When irrigation systems are investigated for efficiency, the broken parts are identified. Yes, broken, such as heads that don’ t rise above the height of cut; bent risers; water thrown onto the track, dugout, shot put ring, bleachers and other non-turf areas; heads that don’ t turn;
22 SportsField Management | September 2025 sportsfieldmanagementonline. com