New Irrigation Committee member weighs in on auto-systems

With new Town Irrigation Committee member Robert Grosbard at the table Thursday night, much of the discussion focused on irrigation system technology.

The committee is charged with gathering information to inform the Town Board whether it should go ahead with a ban on the installation or operation of automatic irrigation systems. The ban was enacted in 2003. Existing systems could be used, but that use would sunset this year on September 1. After a public hearing in August, the Town Board voted for a moratorium on the law until May for further study.

If earlier sessions appeared to point to new technology that makes automatic systems more efficient in their use of water and no need for restrictions in many areas of the Island such as the Center, Mr. Grosbard’s information turned that upside down.

He started his remarks referring to the stance he took at an August town meeting where he favored a permanent ban on automatic irrigation systems.

“I’m coming to this really open and unbiased no matter what I said at that meeting,” he told his colleagues.

After speaking to a number of irrigation specialists and a Department of Environmental Conservation official, Mr. Grosbard is convinced there’s no new technology in irrigation systems in the past 10 years. What has changed, Mr. Grosbard said, is smart irrigation controllers that can analyze conditions to make adjustments when systems are activated.

But rain sensors meant to shut off systems when a certain level of precipitation is detected “aren’t that effective; they don’t work that well,” Mr. Grosbard said. “The human element is what kills these systems,” he said.

Despite being marketed as “set it and forgot it” systems, they need to be maintained and monitored, and for many property owners, that’s something that doesn’t happen, he said.

Mr. Grosbard said it was imperative that the town impose regulations if it’s going to allow ongoing use of any automatic systems. He suggested yearly fees to employee a worker who would be charged with checking each system to ensure it’s operating properly and being maintained. Failure to maintain standards should incur fines, he said.

Committee Chairman Thom Milton believes more can be done with incentives than fees and fines.

Another issue for the committee is whether a decision to allow existing systems to operate if upgraded would open the door to future installations.

According to the original charge to the committee from the Town Board, members were to:
• Determine how many systems, whether properly permitted or not, exist on the Island;
• Determine if new technology exists that should be considered instead of banning use of irrigation systems;
• Provide studies on the impact of using irrigation systems pertinent to both water quantity and quality;
• See if funding might exist to cover or defray the cost of enforcement if existing systems are allowed to continue to be used.

That still leaves open whether the committee, should it decide to recommend operation of existing systems, could recommend allowing new systems and committee members were unsure if that’s included in their mandate.

Based on Mr. Grosbard’s information, committee member Fred Hyatt suggested the town could develop a check list that would have to be filled out by irrigation company employees as they turn on systems in the early spring and examine them for defects that might require repairs.

“Insufficient,” Mr. Grosbard said. Anyone allowed to have an irrigation system with a cistern fed by off-Island water would have to know how to monitor and maintain it, he said, expressing skepticism about most people learning how to adjust their systems for proper maintenance and efficiency.

Mr. Grosbard became the second committee member — John Hallman was the first — to say that if there are going to be restrictions on automatic irrigation systems, they need to be Island-wide because all of Shelter Island draws on the same limited water supply.

“We have to think about our water for the next 50 to 100 years,” Mr. Hallman cautioned.

The meeting tomorrow, Saturday, October 26, starts at 2 p.m. at Town Hall and is expected to last for about an hour.