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Residential Smart Irrigation Controller Program
The Smart Irrigation Controller Program was created to help residents save money by saving water. Through this program, the City of Woodbury offers WaterSense-certified smart irrigation controllers to residents at a discounted price of $35 (retail value: $230).
Note: The program is open only for residents whose homes were built before 2020. Homes built and irrigation systems installed after that time are required by City Code to have a WaterSense certified irrigation controller installed with all new irrigation systems.
Eight- and 16-zone Rachio controllers will be available. More information can be found on the Rachio website including installation videos, customer support and links to purchase outdoor enclosures (this program only provides indoor units, if your controller is located outside you will need to purchase the enclosure on your own). Each home is invited to participate in this program once.
Please note: City ordinance/State law requires all irrigation systems to have working technology that prevents watering when conditions are wet enough. If you don't have a working rain or soil moisture sensor, participating in this program puts you in compliance with city and state requirements. Learn more about sensor regulations.
Smart controllers are certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to save your home at least 20% of your outdoor water use. Studies conducted by the University of Minnesota have shown these controllers save an average of 49% of outdoor water use for homes in Woodbury. They work by connecting to your home's Wi-Fi and reading local weather reports and forecasts to decide whether or not your yard needs additional water. Smart controllers do this automatically and can be controlled by your smartphone, computer or smart home device.
Participants must install and program your new controller (or hire someone to do this work) and provide the city with a photo verifying installation was successful. Smart controllers will be distributed on a first come, first served basis and at the discretion of the City of Woodbury. The city reserves the right to refuse any application for any reason it sees fit.
In order to be eligible for a controller, all criteria listed below must be met. Failure to meet any of the following criteria may result in compatibility or functionality issues with your controller:
- Must have a currently functional irrigation system that was installed prior to 2020.
- Have not participated in previous irrigation controller programs.
- Must be a resident of the City of Woodbury and connected to the city's water supply. Each year, a limited number of controllers will be available to Woodbury residents with private wells. These controllers are funded through partner organizations, like the watershed districts and county.
- Must have in-home Wi-Fi access. Check your Wi-Fi strength at your existing controller by making sure that your smartphone picks up at least two bars. Poor Wi-Fi may necessitate that you purchase a Wi-Fi booster, the city program does not cover this cost.
- Must have a smartphone (necessary to program and to operate the controller).
Remember, a smart controller is designed to reduce run-time based on weather. An Irrigation system is further impacted by pressure, leaks, misaligned heads, spraying on hard surfaces, etc. Contact an irrigation professional about these issues. The University of Minnesota Turfgrass has resources available on their website.
Rachio and the City of Woodbury are committed to providing a sustainable future for everyone to enjoy. Help support this mission by keeping your old controller out of a landfill. It's quick and easy, and gives new purpose to old sprinkler controller components!
To recycle your old controller, send an email to Support at Rachio with your address and phone number, and you'll receive a return label to get started!
To aid in the design of this program, the City of Woodbury completed a two-year pilot program with help from the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP), South Washington Watershed District and Washington County. These programs were found to be highly successful, saving each home an average of 30,000 gallons of water each year. Participants reported high satisfaction of the controller technology, ease of installation and programming, and additional benefit of controlling/monitoring the irrigation system from a smartphone.
More than 3,000 controllers have been distributed since 2016.
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Water Conservation Team
Phone: 651-714-3593
- What is being offered?
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Wi-Fi-based Rachio 3 irrigation controllers are being offered to homeowners for a discounted price of $35. Controllers are purchased online.
- Who is eligible to participate?
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Any residence in Woodbury with a home built prior to 2020 with an installed irrigation system is eligible to participate. Woodbury City Code was updated to require all residences with new irrigation systems to have a smart irrigation controller installed. Participation is limited to one per residence for the life of the program.
- How many zones is the controller compatible with?
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Controllers that can accommodate 8 or 16 zones are offered. Most systems use 8 or fewer. To receive a 16-zone controller, you must indicate 9-16 zones after purchasing your controller.
- Why was the Rachio controller selected?
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The Rachio is Environment Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense certified and utilizes Wi-Fi to make water decisions instead of secondary components like sensors. Rachio was rated highly by Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT), a national partnership initiative of water purveyors and irrigation industry representatives to promote landscape efficiency through state-of-the-art technology. Rachio controllers have been used in the last few years of the city's program. Participants continue to report high satisfaction, decreased water use, and ease of being able to work through issues with the Rachio support network.
- How does the controller work?
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The controller connects to your home's Wi-Fi to rely on local weather station data and seasonal variation to decide how much water your grass needs.
Check your Wi-Fi strength at your existing controller before purchasing. Fewer than 10% of participants have needed to install Wi-Fi boosters to provide the signal to their controller.
Controllers are operated with smart phones. If you utilize an irrigation company, you can share access with them through the app (no need to give them your Wi-Fi or login information).
- How do I install and program the controller?
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There are several videos available on Rachio's YouTube channel, including installation and programming guides.
There is also information specific to the Woodbury program on the Rachio website.
- What do I do if I’m having an issue with my controller?
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Contact Rachio support at 844-472-2446 or visit the Rachio website.
- Does the controller come with a flow meter?
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No. The flow meter can be purchased through Rachio separately. To receive a $20 discount, use the promo code
WOODBURYFLOW20
. - Do I need a rain sensor with the system?
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You do not need a rain sensor. If you have one, it can be plugged into the Rachio system for more accurate weather data.
- With two days per week watering, how can I reprogram my controller to water only only based on my irrigation zone?
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The city updated its Lawn & Landscape Watering Policy in 2023 allowing watering up to two days per week based on irrigation zones. Irrigation system controllers should be reprogrammed to water on the new day(s) or use the manual setting to operate the system on the appropriate day for the designated zone. If you purchased a Rachio smart irrigation controller through the city, tips on running your system are available via the Rachio Help Center. We have also created a step-by-step video for residents, available on our YouTube channel.
- How do I purchase a controller?
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- What should I do if I’m having trouble signing into the system?
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Contact the city at 651-714-3593.