Version 2.0, of the Irrigation Association’s Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT) committee’s equipment functionality testing protocol for high uniformity sprayhead sprinkler nozzles, is open for public comment through Sept. 25.
“Version 2.0 looks at how individual nozzles that fit into a sprayhead body perform compared to manufacturer-published information and how groups of nozzles with different arcs work together in defined areas to resemble use in real world applications,” said Brent Mecham, Irrigation Association industry development director and SWAT liaison. “The testing protocol results will provide useful information for improving irrigation efficiency.”
For this protocol, in addition to testing nozzles individually, two test areas are defined to test groups of nozzles working together: a square area and a circular area. The test protocol measures how evenly the water is applied in each of the defined areas. Version 2.0 also tests and evaluates how these nozzles perform at the preferred operating pressure and at different operating pressures commonly found in landscape settings.
This revised protocol incorporates feedback submitted during the public comment period for the first version. Industry stakeholders can review and submit comments to the latest protocol online.
