The Communicator - Volume 1, Issue 3 - (Page 13)

• Service Areas and Task Requirements – Every association’s site requirements are unique. A GIS provides the opportunity to document these (i.e., check this spot weekly, that spot monthly; NEVER park here ). eliminating the irrigation of an entire meter area. Ensuring that all irrigation component locations are documented can save the association thousands of dollars over time. IRRIGATION SYSTEM COMPONENTS This assumes that original irrigation plans are available, though unfortunately, they are often the first to disappear. If not available, discover and document applies nonetheless, since most of the obvious components can be located and documented by the landscape maintenance or irrigation contractor, though this can be a very labor-intensive (i.e., A detailed irrigation system layer will provide a costly and time-conwealth of information for suming) task. the association manager. A detailed irrigation system plan should include all of the following: • All system components (meters, backflow devices, controllers, valves, main and lateral lines, heads). • Water meters and the areas they service. • Backflow devices (emergency water shutoff points). • Irrigation Controllers – Irrigation controllers are computers, not “clocks,” as they are sometimes referred to. Newer (SMART or weather-based) controllers are very sophisticated devices and calculate runtimes based on each irrigation zone’s unique set of parameters. • Remote-control valves (which are frequently “lost”). A great number of vendors keep details familiar to them in their heads, and never commit them to paper. Documenting system component locations using the association’s GIS is extremely important, as this information frequently vanishes when contractors change, especially the one who had found the component in the first place! Recently, one association spent over $800 to find a “lost” valve that was stuck on, requiring the backflow to be shut off, IRRIGATION PROGRAMMING PARAMETERS Responsibility for keeping the irrigation system tuned up and in optimal condition falls to the irrigation technician. Consider him/her the “mechanic” of the irrigation system. A very different set of skills are required of the Certified Irrigation Manager, the “driver” of the system. This person must possess in-depth knowledge of plant-soil-water relations, and uses a number of individual irrigation zone parameters to calculate landscape water requirements and irrigationsystem runtimes. The Certified Irrigation Manager1 is the person most accountable for controlling association water costs! Whether using a conventional irrigation controller or one of the new SMART irrigation controllers, using the SPECIALIZED BANKING SERVICES FOR COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS AND MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS Association Bank Services offers: • Operating and Reserve Checking • Premium Interest Rates • No Monthly Service Charges • CD Placement Services (CDARS) (FDIC Insured Investment to more than 50 million) • Automated Lockbox Services • Automatic Assessment Payments • Association Loans • Business On-Line Banking • Cash Management Services • Remote Deposit • Simpliﬁed Association Signature Cards • Exceptional Service • Experienced Association Bankers Greater Bay Area Michael Kennedy or Katherine Young: 800-200-0013 San Francisco/Marin Monterey/Santa Cruz Karl Lofthouse: 415-273-2011 South Bay/Peninsula Geri Kennedy: 866-493-8022 Contra Costa/Central Valley/Napa/Solano Brian Mavity: 866-846-5476 Sacramento/Northern California Betina Schessow: 800-200-0013 CUSTOMER SERVICE All Locations: 800-200-0013 AssociationBankServices@fbol.com FirstBankHOA.com The Communicator • 13 http://fbol.com/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Communicator - Volume 1, Issue 3

The Communicator - Volume 1, Issue 3 Contents President's Message Eyes in the Sky Down to the Last Drop Ask the Experts - Budget Your Water Usage 2008 Events & Educational Calendar Welcome to CAI BayCen Index to Advertisers

The Communicator - Volume 1, Issue 3

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