Suggestions for Applying for a Watering Variance

So I’m currently restricted to watering once a week. There are variances that you can apply for that allow you to step outside those bounds based on certain conditions. My questions is what kind of savings would I see if I were allowed to use a Flex Daily schedule with no restrictions on days? I know that the device is EPA WaterSense certified. Are there any other certifications or data I could bring to the table to argue a variance? I’d like to get the full level of potential efficiency that this device provides.

1 Like

Each water district has their own rules and regulations. Some cities cut people back to 3, 2 or even 1 time a week.

When outside temperatures permit it and you have the right turf or drought tolerant plantings, 1 time a week can be sufficient.

In answer to your question about the Flex Daily schedule, you can see a good savings by letting the controller decide for you as to how much water you actually need based on the information it gathers.

I am in Southern California. Many of the water districts give more leniency when a person uses a smart controller since they figure that those people have taken a better step towards conservation and compliance to the ordinances.

If there is any doubt, you can generally find out what the inclusions and exclusions are from your local water purveyor.

1 Like

@the901 - if there are unused zones on your Rachio (e.g. using 5 out 8 zones), then one can set up shadow programs on the unused zones to see what performance you’d get and could possibly use that data for applying for a variance.