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Smart irrigation controllers are capable of substantially decreasing landscape water applications under residential high water-use conditions in Florida. Their implementation has been incentivized by governmental agencies and water utilities in an effort to reduce public-supply water demand and conserve water resources. However, the bulk of the research on smart controllers for urban landscapes has focused on performance dimensions. To successfully promote them, feedback from end-users is critical. This paper provides an evaluation of homeowner response to evapotranspiration (ET)-based and soil moisture sensor (SMS)-based smart controllers installed as part of a pilot project conducted in Orange County, FL. The objectives of the study were to collect demographic information, assess conservation attitudes and irrigation system knowledge, and gather feedback on the use of smart controllers from the pilot project’s residential cooperators. Data were collected through an online survey and analyzed using relative frequency distributions, text analysis, independent means t tests, and logistic regression. Results indicated that a majority of survey participants were satisfied with their controllers and planned to continue using them. Both ET and SMS controllers were consistently praised for saving money and irrigating efficiently. However, the likelihood that participants would continue using their controllers after the completion of the project was only significantly predicted by their levels of technical knowledge regarding the workings of the devices and whether they had experienced any challenges operating them. Efforts to promote both initial and long-term adoption may be most effective by emphasizing the economic benefits of investing in smart irrigation controllers and by disseminating best management practices that facilitate their understanding and successful operation.

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The objective of this article is to present summary findings of multiple research studies concerning evapotranspiration (ET) controllers. Each study provided unique information concerning the performance and implementation techniques necessary to ensure successful integration with irrigation systems to optimize scheduling for water conservation. Based on these studies, ET controllers have the potential for irrigation savings of as much as 63%, without sacrificing landscape quality, when implemented in moderate to high water use scenarios and programmed correctly. Only homes that irrigated more than 450 mm per year had irrigation savings with an ET controller in southwest Florida. The ET controllers that underwent Irrigation Association Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT) testing experienced oscillations in irrigation adequacy and scheduling efficiency dependent on rainfall. Assuming acceptable levels for irrigation adequacy and scheduling efficiency of 80% and 95%, respectively, there were only a few periods during the Florida SWAT test when both scores were above these thresholds. A maximum of 10% of scores were passing in any of the three evaluation periods with frequent rainfall, indicating that properly accounting for rainfall is a challenge for many of these controllers. The SWAT scores are indicators of water savings only if there is a potential for savings due to excess irrigation prior to implementation of the ET controller.