Burden of Proof

“Contractors who install efficient systems have a responsibility to communicate the value to their customers,” says Matt Piper, general manager of Dallas-based GP&E’s water management services division.

He says the burden is on the contractor to explain the value of passive conservation products – like advanced sprayheads and rotors – to his customers and outline their benefits. “Other products like controllers are easier for customers to understand,” Piper says, explaining that customers see the difference between a timer-based controller and a weather-based one that operates with a real-time signal from a satellite.

“By and large our customers don’t have any perceived difference in quality with sprayhead and rotor products. It’s very necessary to educate our customers about what we’re installing,” he says, estimating that there’s about a 4 to 5 percent cost difference between an irrigation system that does an exceptional job and one that operates poorly.