Irrigation System Efficiency Audit

A tune-up adjusts and fixes as it goes: heads are straightened, leaks repaired and the schedule reset in one visit. An audit measures first, with catch cans, a pressure gauge and emitter flow checks, and delivers a written zone table before anything is changed. Choose the audit when nobody can say which zone is wasting water.

It describes how evenly a zone spreads water. Cans are set across the zone, the zone runs for a timed period, and the driest quarter of the readings is compared with the average. A low figure means the zone must run long enough for its driest patch, so the rest is overwatered every cycle until coverage is fixed.

Yes, with a different method. Drip delivers water at the root zone through small emitters, so the audit times the flow from the first, middle and last emitter on a line against the rated output, then checks the filter and pressure regulator. A falling curve along the line points to clogging, scale or lost pressure.

A zone-by-zone table listing the sprinkler or drip type, the pressure measured, the precipitation rate, the uniformity, the faults observed and a recommended runtime, plus the hardware fixes ranked by water saved. AMWUA advises adjusting schedules at least four times a year, and that table is what each seasonal change should start from.