Smart Sprinkler Knows When The Lawn Is Getting Thirsty

Automatic sprinklers are something many American homes have had for a while; with many in the UK not being able to justify the expense thanks to the sheer amount of rain. When sprinklers have been installed, typically they’re operated using a timer – something that could potentially cause the grass to drown and waste water at the same time.

Now there’s an alternative, as ETwater has come up with a ‘smart’ sprinkler that can check the weather forecast and detect when the lawn may need a good sprinkling.

Using a combination of local sensors and real-time weather data, ETwater’s smart sprinkler is able to detect just how much water is needed and when. That means there’s less of a chance of over watering the lawn and a potential to save money on water bills too.

ETwater has made its sprinkler smarter than that however, as it can also keep an eye on the landscape, adjusting water distribution dependent on soil and plant type as well as how sloped the garden is.

While ETwater is geared towards the American market where permanently installed sprinklers are common, it could benefit markets around Europe where people value a good looking lawn that requires little effort to maintain.

For now however, ETwater is targeting its home state of California which has consistently suffered a drought over the last few years. The company is hoping that its smart sprinkler could cut water usage by 50% but still maintain a good looking garden.

The system is available to consumers in the United States, being offered as a service for $35 a month rather than a system that is simply bought and installed. That price will include the unit itself as well as the 3G/4G wireless data that it utilises.