SUSTAINABLE SUBSURFACE IRRIGATION
11 Feb 2015
One of Perth’s newest sustainable developments, South Alkimos Beach, relies on Toro to keep its parks and gardens green.
The new Alkimos Beach residential subdivision in Perth’s northern corridor is committed to sustainability. The finished community will capture a size of 710 hectares and be home to an expected population of 15,000 people. Over 30 per cent of the first 224 hectare stage of the development will be reserved for open space, including bushland reserves, parks, landscaped areas and playing fields.
Perth Landscaping firm LD TOTAL was selected to design and install the irrigation systems used across the site. In keeping with the goal of maximising water efficiency in open spaces, LD TOTAL chose Toro Drip-In® with Rootguard® drip tube to irrigate all public open space areas; streetscapes, entry statements, parks and gardens.
Unlike traditional drip irrigation, Drip-In with Rootguard is laid below the surface of the ground. By using subsurface drip irrigation, water and nutrients are delivered directly to the plants’ root zone, resulting in healthier, better quality plants. In addition, because the water is applied below the surface there is no water loss due to evaporation, wind, run-off or misting - factors to consider in coastal areas.
As with any pipe work conveying water underground, there is an inherent risk of root intrusion. To overcome this, Drip-In with Rootguard is impregnated with Treflan® during manufacture to inhibit root intrusion. Once installed, the herbicide is released at a uniform rate, through the individual emitters to prevent roots from penetrating the tube. The use of Rootguard provides year round protection from root instrusion, regardless of whether the irrigation system is operated.
The developer’s commitment to sustainability and water efficiency extends beyond community spaces. All new homes in the South Alkimos Beach development include landscaping and irrigation utilising the Toro 570 Series pop-up sprinkler. Featuring a low pressure seal that flushes only on retraction, the 570 Series pop-up provides reliable pop down for a leak free seal. Available with a radius up to 5.5m, the 570 series sprinkler is ideal for small garden and turf areas. With seven distinct pop-up sprinkler bodies and a host of interchangeable fixed or variable arc nozzles, they provide LD TOTAL with unlimited design flexibility to meet the varying requirements of each residence.
