Case Study: Property Owners

Achieving Water Use Code Compliance

Commercial Property Owner - Matt White, President, Basin Street Properties

Overview

Name Matt White
Location Novato, California
Terrain Steep grade
Soil type Clay, amended clay/loam
Plantings Planted areas with native California shrubs, bunch grasses, heritage oaks
Climate Mediterranean - hot dry summers, wet winters
Existing System Rotor and spray sprinklers, drip

ETwater In Action

In recent years, water conservation has emerged as a major issue with agencies that govern building and development in San Francisco’s North Bay region. In fact, permit approval in Sonoma and Marin counties often hinges on whether or not owners are able to demonstrate that new projects will not place excessive demand on already-tight water supplies.

As one of the top commercial property owners and developers in Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties, Basin Street Properties has sought ways to carefully manage water use on its properties. Going beyond the usual step of landscaping with native and drought-tolerant plants, Basin Street is using ETwater on many of its properties in order to:

  • Keep water use to a minimum
  • Maintain healthy plants and landscapes
  • Eliminate overwatering due to inefficient scheduling

    • Implementation

    ETwater Commercial: Woodside Office Center, Novato, California

  • ETwater Manager web–based irrigation control interface
  • ETwater Commercial Smart Controller, governing 23 stations

    • With ETwater...

    LandCare, Basin Street’s landscape management company, installed ETwater at Basin Street’s Woodside site in September 2004, shortly before Northern California’s rainy season set in. A newly built complex, Woodside was landscaped with a wide range of native grasses and shrubs which, while not requiring much water, are susceptible to root rot if overwatered — a significant risk during the rainy season.

    Scott Hall, LandCare’s manager at Woodside, had seen this first hand in the past. When the rains started this year, however, there was no problem because the ETwater Manager monitors daily rainfall and accurately recalculates watering schedules each night. The result is that the site is healthy and thriving.

    ETwater Benefits

    • Instant response to changes in weather
    • Maximized efficiency of water use on sensitive landscape
    • Helped meet property owner’s water use guidelines

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