Need an irrigation tech?

Brian Vinchesi

When it comes to irrigation maintenance and repair the responsibility at most golf courses usually falls to the assistant superintendent or second assistant. Why? Because repairs and troubleshooting need to be done by someone who is responsible and has the ability and understanding of how important the irrigation system is to the overall maintenance and operation of the course.
If water management is a factor, due to limited water supply or public perception, there is even more reason to have a management-level employee dealing with the irrigation system. Have you ever thought of designating someone to perform all your irrigation maintenance or hiring an irrigation technician instead of letting it fall to the assistants?

An irrigation technician is a great asset to not only the golf course, but also to the irrigation system. Having a staffer who is solely responsible for maintaining the irrigation system helps the system operate better, have fewer problems and most likely save water. Irrigation technicians are proactive with maintenance as opposed to being reactive, which is the case at most courses.

Most high-end courses have irrigation technicians, with some facilities employing more than one. Whether there is an irrigation technician (or technicians) is usually dependent on how large the irrigation system is or how much trouble it is causing.

Intuitively, the more sprinklers the system has the more maintenance it requires. Likewise, an older irrigation system needs more maintenance. Consider designating an irrigation technician if system maintenance is taking too much of your or your assistant’s time, or if it is taking more than 75 percent of one of your staff’s time.

There’s no hard and fast rule. I know many 18-hole courses without an irrigation technician, and at least one course with three. One irrigation technician can maintain approximately 2,000 or so sprinklers with their associated controllers, valves, wiring and piping, but this will vary by course and number of holes.

What duties will an irrigation technician perform? First and foremost, addressing issues as they occur. These will include: broken pipes, leaking fittings, weeping sprinklers, non-operating sprinklers and controller or wiring issues. Routine work includes troubleshooting the system as necessary, as well.

When immediate issues do not have to be addressed, the technician can level sprinklers and set them to grade, check sprinkler arcs and nozzles and perform audits to improve irrigation scheduling. They can perform preventive maintenance, such as cleaning out controllers, exercising gate valves, tightening grounding clamps, replacing and leveling valve boxes, and cleaning and painting the pump house and pump station.
 

Above all else, patience is necessary to provide these services. Troubleshooting a strict sequence and customer service as the irrigation technician is always out among the members and players making repairs.

Of course, being mechanical oriented and not being afraid to get dirty doesn’t hurt, either. Wire tracking and fault finding is a necessary skill, but unfortunately it is one only perfected with experience. With new technologies – such as integrated decoder type systems and the use of HDPE pipe – more skills and training are needed because these systems use more sophisticated equipment.

Most superintendents determine the watering schedule and have the irrigation central control system in their office. However, in some cases, the irrigation technician may be watering or implementing the schedule. Usually the technician maintains the irrigation system central controller database. As we have discussed in this space before, it is essential to have an accurate database. The irrigation technician is best positioned to ensure that the correct sprinkler, nozzle and arc that they have serviced in the field are reflected in the database. By performing audits, they can also use the data collected to fine tune precipitation rates and runtimes.

Unfortunately, good irrigation technicians are hard to find and they are beginning to earn higher salaries. There is no real training program other than experience. Much like a spray technician, if you can identify someone on your staff with the right skillset you can train them on irrigation repair and send them to electrical troubleshooting or auditing classes.

Irrigation technicians can be well worth the cost especially if you have an aging irrigation system that has continual problems as they are less expensive than a new system.

If you have the budget to hire or the available staff, an irrigation technician will improve the operation and lengthen the life of your irrigation system. It should also provide for better playing conditions as the irrigation system will cause less issues on the course and have improved uniformity when compared to an irrigation system only maintained and/or repaired when necessary.

Brian Vinchesi, the 2009 EPA WaterSense Irrigation Partner of the Year, is president of Irrigation Consulting Inc., a golf course irrigation design and consulting firm headquartered in Pepperell, Mass., that designs irrigation systems throughout the world. He can be reached at bvinchesi@irrigationconsulting.com or 978/433-8972.