Bonita Bay tests satellite irrigation system

Bonita Bay Group is testing a new satellite-controlled irrigation system at Mediterra that could significantly enhance the company's water conservation efforts.

Toro's IntelliSense system, which uses satellite weather data to calculate precise irrigation needs, was recently installed at test sites at several homes built by London Bay Homes in the community's Lucarno neighborhood. Mediterra is the first site in Southwest Florida to install the systems, according to Michael Lynch, Toro's Southwest Florida sales manager.

Data compiled during the 18-month test period of Toro's IntelliSense system will compare water usage at the seven test sites to similarly sized lawns and landscaping using the traditional system, said Dennis Cafaro, general manager of Resource Conservation Systems, a Bonita Bay Group company that provides non-potable water to master-planned communities.

"We expect we're going to use less water," Cafaro said.

The IntelliSense system is based on the crop science of evapotranspiration, the amount of water a plant and soil lose through evaporation or "sweat." The system uses satellite weather station data, such as humidity, wind and cloud conditions for specific ZIP codes, to calculate exactly how much water the plant needs to replace lost moisture.