CHANDLER, Ariz. – Working with their local Horizon Distributors rep and more than 4,000 new sprinkler nozzles, ProQual Landscaping of Tempe, Ariz., recently completed a sophisticated, large-scale irrigation upgrade at a Phoenix-area apartment complex which has translated into tremendous water savings of more than 20 percent.

“Our irrigation team went in to assess the situation, and we found a mismatched system,” said Scott Needham, general manager of ProQual. “There were pressure problems and spotty coverage – some areas were green and others weren’t. The landscape just didn’t look good.”

ProQual’s irrigation technicians conducted a water audit and immediately saw the need to replace the mismatched sprinklers with a consistent, efficient system. Scott approached Horizon with the challenge, and they decided to install the Toro Precision Series Spray Nozzles to try and solve the problem.

The Toro Precision Series Spray Nozzles are designed to distribute water more slowly and evenly at a 1-inch per hour precipitation rate, which is much less than traditional spray nozzles.

Using patented H2O chip technology – and no moving parts – each Precision Series Spray Nozzle creates one or more high-frequency oscillating streams to achieve the desired patterns. The Precision Series Spray technology also appealed to ProQual because the nozzles are interchangeable and easily fit onto either male or female threaded sprinkler heads.

“This project was a total retrofit, but the different contractors before us had used every brand of sprinklers somewhere on the system,” Scott said. “By being able to utilize those existing heads with the new nozzles, it saved a lot of time and money. That was part of Horizon’s recommendation, and it really helped.”

“This was an exciting project for all of us,” said Dan Puthuff, construction channel manager, Horizon Distributors. “At Horizon, we take pride in being able to recommend and provide customized solutions for our clients’ projects. The team at ProQual identified the need, and we were glad to be able to help them achieve these outstanding results.”

Once the new irrigation system was up and running, the results were immediate and significant. Early estimates indicate that the new sprinklers are reducing water usage at the apartment site by about 20 percent.

“The new sprinklers are much more efficient, so there’s a lot less water being used,” Scott said. “In just 90 days, there was a huge improvement in the way the landscape looked. We have before-and-after pictures of the project, and it’s hard to believe you’re looking at the same place.”