Parks DivisionIrrigation |
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The irrigation crew is responsible for all aspects of maintenance to irrigation system components throughout the City and County of Broomfield. Parks Services Supervisor: Gary Schnoor Irrigation staff divide the City's 800+ irrigated acres into individual areas to maintain. Each spring, the crew gets the areas up and running. As the growing season progresses, they maintain the systems, shut them down in late fall, and prepare them for protection from freezing temperatures in the winter. Irrigation maintenance includes going
through all systems every two weeks to assure that all of
the sprinkler heads are operating correctly and that there
are no leaks in the underground lines. Controller
repairs and pump maintenance are also common tasks performed
by the crew during this time. Watering is controlled
by a central computer system located at the Norman Smith
Service Center. This unique system allows crews to make
watering adjustments for run times from the office, or shut
systems off when enough moisture collects from rainfall to
skip a night of watering—a very useful tool in water
conservation. The drip and subsurface irrigation used in
many areas also helps to conserve water. All watering takes
place between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. to minimize the evaporation
rate of water during The addition of five weather stations placed strategically throughout town has given the department an opportunity to evaluate conditions specific to Broomfield's unique micro-climates. This allows for more precise irrigation scheduling and programming, and an even further increase in water conservation efforts.
All of the individuals on the irrigation crew are active members in the Irrigation Association, a group that is dedicated to promoting efficient irrigation. Education and staying up to date with current technologies is a high priority for staff. To report any irrigation problems, please contact one of the numbers below. Your assistance in recognizing and resolving problems quickly is greatly appreciated!
Park Services
Division
After-Hours
Emergencies Tips for watering efficiently from the irrigation staff... The cold winter months can bring a lot of frustration to gardeners dreaming of warm spring days. One thing that can be done during this time is to retrofit planter beds that are currently using inefficient spray heads with a more water-conserving drip system. Local hardware stores carry a variety of items that everyday homeowners can purchase to make the transition easier. Make sure that any new drip lines that are installed are filtered to prevent small debris from clogging drip emitters and have some sort of device to reduce the incoming water pressure. Without reducing the pressure, any drip components that you install may be subject to high pressures and bursting. Remember that the goal is to provide low flow irrigation directly to the plant root zone in order to maximize water uptake and reduce water waste to areas that irrigation was not necessary. When running new drip lines through the garden, use landscape pins or staples to hold them in place. Drip emitters can be installed to existing shrubs or perennials, and any new planting in the spring can have emitters run to them accordingly. If ground covers are something found in your garden, consider using micro-spray heads in order to wet a larger area while still maintaining a low flow of water. There are really any number of ways that your sprinkler system can be upgraded to provide more efficient irrigation. Visit your local hardware retailers and see what they have available. Talk to someone while you are there; they will be happy to assist you in finding the correct components for your system. You can also visit the City and County of Broomfield's CSU Extension page . Here you will find helpful information and education programs available through Colorado State University, as well as links to the Master Gardner program. Reclaimed water, what to know...
The City and County of Broomfield is dedicated to conserving our most valuable natural resource. Currently, the City has roughly 40% of existing irrigation systems using reclaimed, or reuse, water for irrigation. This number has been, and will continue to, steadily increase with the vast expansion of the current infrastructure. The Broomfield County Commons, Broomfield's largest park site, is one example of an area currently utilizing this technology. It's easy to recognize a sprinkler system using reclaimed water by the distinctive purple markings on irrigation components and informative signs. Have you ever seen these purple signs in any of Broomfield's parks or right of ways and wondered what all goes into using reclaimed wastewater for irrigation? Learn more! Meet the Staff The irrigation crew are usually some behind-the-scenes characters. See who they are and what each one of them offers to the citizens of Broomfield.
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high temperatures, and avoid a water demand during high use
hours. 
