Rain Bird says the irrigation system at the National Mall is designed to increase water efficiency while decreasing electricity usage and maintenance.Photo: Rain Bird
The grassy areas of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., take a beating: up to 3,000 permitted events and 33 million visitors per year. For nearly a decade, the site has been undergoing renovation work.
Now, the newly restored 18-plus acres between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial are equipped with a state-of-the-art Rain Bird irrigation system.
A water-efficient Rain Bird IC System with Stratus II software was installed. Rain Bird says the IC system is ideal for large projects because it requires less wire and fewer components to run the self-flushing EAGLE 900 series rotors.
The system uses no above-ground equipment, making both its installation and long-term maintenance easier, the company says.
Using exclusive Rain Bird technology, the Stratus II central control operates the IC system at the mall over a secure Internet connection from a main office several miles from the mall. For remote operation and diagnostics, the grounds crew uses the Rain Bird MI Series mobile controller, which provides precision watering while on site, the company says.
Other Rain Bird technologies employed at the National Mall to conserve water and resources include Smart Pump, Rain Watch and Smart Weather – technologies, Rain Bird says, that are capable of making decisions that conserve water while providing the control needed to maintain healthy turf.
