You’re shutting off water, raking leaves, and probably don’t have the slightest concern for irrigation control. But, keep in mind for Spring 2012, the EPA recently announced that irrigation controllers will be the first outdoor product eligible for the WaterSense label. To date, WaterSense has been available for showerheads, toilets, urinals, sink faucets, and entire homes.
Encino-based Cyber-Rain, maker of what the company calls a “sprinkler controller with a brain,” recently introduced a new feature that gives users the ability to monitor and control landscape watering from the cloud. The Cyber-Rain controller works similar to, for example, a Rainbird or Orbit system, except an owner can control sprinklers, manually run valves, and check watering activity from a computer or through a free iPhone app.
If you’re thinking about collecting rain at home, there’s a chance this product — the RainPerfect solar-powered pump system — could come in handy. Once you have rainwater in the barrel, you’ll want to get it out and that can be done with the help of solar energy, a pump, and a garden hose.
