What happens when you try to answer one simple question: Where is all the water going?

In this episode of the Sprinkler Nerd Show, Andy sits down with longtime friend and collaborator Paul Bassett from ENVOCORE to tell the story of one of the most complex irrigation and water management projects they have ever worked on—a massive retrofit at a government military base.

What began as an irrigation upgrade quickly became something much bigger: more than 1,000 water meters, 225 irrigation controllers, 7 million square feet of irrigated landscape, and over 25 million gallons of monthly water use.

Together, Andy and Paul share how they used wireless technology, LoRaWAN gateways, smart irrigation controls, weather stations, soil moisture sensors, and utility-grade water meters to build a system capable of tracking every drop across an entire military base.

But the real challenge was not installing the hardware. It was learning how to trust the data.

They discuss:

• How to discover and estimate a project of this size
• Why some properties are unknowingly use twice as much water as they need
• How missing meter data, duplicate reporting, and underground leaks complicated the project
• Why "gallons per square foot" may be the most important number in irrigation
• How water bills can reveal more about a property than most people realize
• Why contractors should start with the math before they start replacing sprinklers

Paul also shares practical advice that any contractor can use immediately, whether they manage a military base or a five-zone residential system.

If you want to understand how data, water, and technology are reshaping the future of irrigation, this is an episode you will not want to miss.

At the Hunter Industries Contractor Training Event hosted in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Andy sat down with irrigation contractors and technology leaders to explore one big question:

What is the future of irrigation going to look like?

In this documentary-style episode, you'll hear from contractors with decades of field experience, including three generations of Grapids Irrigation, contractors adapting to smart controllers and cloud-based monitoring, and the people building the next generation of tools at Hunter.

Featuring conversations with: Aaron Katerberg of Grapids Irrigation, Brandon Dietrich of Garpio Group, Jason from Smith Lawnscapes, Hector Avalos of Pro-Mow Landscaping, Tony Tiscareno of Grapids Irrigation, and Scott Allison from Hunter Industries.

Topics include:

• Flat-rate pricing and running a more profitable service business
• Smart controllers, Wi-Fi, flow sensors, and remote monitoring
• Why water savings and technology matter more than ever
• New cloud-based design tools like Hunter's My Design Landscape
• The differences between irrigation in Michigan and Florida
• Why, after 20–30 years in the business, contractors still love what they do

The tools are changing. The technology is changing.

The people who make irrigation work are still the story.

If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend in the irrigation industry.

Behind every irrigation controller, valve, and system component is a team of engineers and product managers working to improve the tools contractors rely on every day.

In the final episode of this three-part series from the Rain Bird Irrigation Pro Summit, Andy Humphrey talks with members of the Rain Bird team about how irrigation products are designed and how contractor feedback shapes the future of irrigation technology.

Steve, a Rain Bird product manager, shares insights into the development of modern controller platforms, two-wire systems, and connected irrigation management tools.

Maggie and Matt from Rain Bird discuss valve technology, integrated valve modules, and how product innovation happens within one of the irrigation industry's most recognized manufacturers.

This conversation highlights how collaboration between contractors and manufacturers continues to drive innovation in irrigation.

In This Episode

• How Rain Bird develops irrigation controllers
• Two-wire technology and system diagnostics
• Valve innovation and integrated valve modules (IVM)
• How contractor feedback influences product development
• The future of irrigation technology

Featured Guests

Steve Barendt— Rain Bird Product Manager, Controllers
Maggie Saulsby — Rain Bird Product Manager, Valves
Matt Cooper — Rain Bird Contractor Account Manager (CAM), Mid Atlantic