Set up a hose irrigation system for great benefits at a reduced cost
Set up a hose irrigation system for great benefits at a reduced cost
The most efficient way to water your yard is by using an automatic irrigation system with underground valves. Hand watering can be problematic because it can lead to inconsistent watering, causing you to overwater, underwater or forget to water altogether.
However, these systems can be expensive to install, with costs sometimes ranging from $800 to $2,000, depending on the number of valves. If you are ready to install a more efficient irrigation system but aren’t ready for the cost of an inground system, consider starting with a hose timer system that can be easily converted to an inground system later on.
A hose timer system is an inexpensive way to get your plants on automatic irrigation, allowing you to water your yard on a specific day of the week, time of the day and for a set number of minutes. You can put it together yourself for under $100.
The hose timer attaches to high-quality irrigation ¾” Polyline with drip emitters or professional landscape dripline. The dripline can stay in the ground year-round and be later connected to future valves of an automatic in-ground irrigation system.
There are a variety of products you can use, including smart controllers, easy twist-and-turn controllers, multi-valve controllers, and more. We offer a rebate on ones that adjust to our weather and your plants’ water needs (referred to as ‘smart controllers’).
Check out our how-to installation video to learn how to get started.
Learn more by checking out these other useful irrigation articles:
Yes, You Can Afford an Irrigation System
Best Practices for Watering Your Plants With a Hose or Drip System.
Use Drip Irrigation for Your Trees and Shrubs
How to Build a Hose Irrigation System for Trees
Author: Have a question about the article or anything else? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org
Water by the Seasons
Smart Irrigation Controllers
Most Albuquerque homes have an irrigation box below ground in the yard that contains automatic valves, pressure reducers, and filters with backflow preventers next to the box. The automatic valves are wired to an irrigation controller that’s often in the garage, laundry room or an outside wall. Different variations of these controllers have been around since the 1960s and allow homeowners to adjust when and how long to water different zones. However in the early 2000s the proliferation of wireless technology and the internet ushered in the ‘Smart’ controller.
Smart controllers use WiFi and connect wirelessly to the local weather station. They will not water on days when it’s too windy or it has already rained. Most will also determine what your landscape’s water needs are and create a schedule based on data added during setup plus the information it receives from local weather stations. They connect to your smartphone or tablet so you have easy control over your system no matter where you are. Irrigation Designer Richard Perce says, “A smart controller adjusts your watering based on the local weather conditions which saves you money and water. But what I love the most is that you can turn your system on and off from the phone as you walk the line to find leaks. No more needing to run back and forth to the garage.”
Smart Controllers allow you to turn your system on and off without running back to the irrigation controller in the garage.
What is a smart irrigation controller?
- Smart controllers use current and/or historic weather data to create a custom irrigation schedule.
- Our study shows residents with traditional landscaping saved about $150 per year, or about 20% in landscape irrigation costs by installing a smart irrigation controller.
- Popular models cost around $150, and with a 25% rebate on qualifying models, your investment pays for itself in less than a year-thanks to water savings alone!
- Nearly all smart controllers use an intuitive phone app, making it easier for you to set up and to check for issues – no back & forth to your garage!
The Water Authority’s offers a smart controller rebate. The rebate is a 25% rebate, up to $100.00 and includes the purchase and professional installation of a smart controller. Installing a Smart controller provides the following benefits:
- A healthy, beautiful landscape: Smart controllers help landscapes flourish and remain healthy by providing the right amount of water for each plant zone. Underwatered or overwatered landscapes can be unhealthy, unattractive and wasteful.
- Savings of both water and money: These controllers help eliminate overwatering, so they may lower water-use expenses and conserve water particularly for high water users.
- Convenience: Properly programmed smart controllers save end-users the time required to continuously monitor and adjust irrigation schedules in response to changing weather and seasons (If you’re installing your new smart controller in an outbuilding or detached garage you may need to verify that your wi-fi signals are strong enough to reach the smart controller.)
BESTSELLING SMART IRRIGATION CONTROLLERS, ABQ METRO AREA (2025)
Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller
Features: 8 and 16 zones options, inexpensive, connects to local weather stations, works with all modems, easy to use, robust water schedules based on plant type, soil type, sun exposure; and rebates are available. This controller must be controlled by an smartphone since it does not come with a screen on the controller itself. Costs around $200-$250) Integrates with Amazon Alexa and other smart home devices. Supports dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz)
Orbit B-hyve Smart Indoor/Outdoor Irrigation controller Models 57995 or 57950
Features: 6 and 12 zone options, inexpensive, connects to local weather stations, easily controlled via your smartphone, can be mounted indoors or outdoors, works with all internet modems (2.4gh and 5gh), long-range Bluetooth radio, can adjust both at the controller and on your phone, easy to use, rebates available. Costs around ($125-$200) Integrates with Amazon Alexa. Model 57950 has a screen, dial and physical buttons you can use to adjust the settings (in addition to the smartphone app). Model 57995 does show the date time and weather you’ll need to use your smartphone to adjust the settings. 
Hunter X2 with wand:
Features: If you have an existing Hunter X2 controller you can add WAND. It is a simple plug-in Wi-Fi option for any X2 controller model for online irrigation management from anywhere with an internet connection. Costs about $100 for the wand on your existing controller (costs between $80-$150), connects to local weather stations, easily controlled via your smartphone, can be mounted indoors or outdoors, works with only (2.4gh) internet modem, can adjust both at the controller and on your phone, easy to use, rebates available. Compatable with amazon alexa, control4 and homeseer home automation technology. 
Hunter HPC400:
Features: 4 station base model but HPCs can go up to 23 zones, runs about $200, connects to local weather stations, easily controlled via your smartphone, can be mounted indoors or outdoors, works with only (2.4gh) internet modem, can adjust both at the controller and on your phone, easy to use, rebates available.
The Water Authority offers residential rebates of 25% up to $100, and commercial rebates of 25% up to $500, for Smart Controllers. The rebate can be used for both purchase of the controller and the cost of professional installation. Installation is quite easy and is a great weekend DIY project with a high return of investment. Before purchasing your new controller, make sure to visit the list of qualified WaterSense controllers located in the rebate section.
Learn more here:
WaterSense Smart Irrigation Controllers
Yes, you can afford an irrigation system
Irrigation Maintenance Checklist for the Greater Albuquerque Area
Don’t forget to report any water waste you see.
Have a question about the article or anything else? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org
Irrigation 101 Tutorials
Water Meter Information
How can I find my water meter?
Irrigation Valve Information
Do I have an irrigation valve on my property?
Install Drip Line from Irrigation Valve
Learn how to install drip irrigation to your irrigation valves.
How to Install Water to a Tree
How to install drip irrigation to a tree?
Irrigation to a Plant
How to install drip irrigation to a plant?
Why We Hate to Love the Bermuda Lawn
If you have heard of Bermuda grass or live in one of the older areas of Albuquerque, just the name might make you flinch or grimace. The reason it gets a bad rap is because it is dormant in winter, it spreads like crazy into garden beds and can magically appear out of a dirt mess after monsoon season.
You may be surprised to hear that some of us actually like Bermuda grass lawns. In fact, I’ve even planted the grass in my backyard. I’ll take you through the pros and cons and why I’ve come to love the Bermuda grass lawn. It can be the right plant for the right space to fill the right need.
Many homeowners would like turfgrass but feel irresponsible watering a lawn in the arid Southwest. The key to choosing a turfgrass is to determine the one most suited to the specific needs of your landscape The Water Authority is not anti-lawn that is efficiently irrigated and physically used and enjoyed. Bermuda grass cultivars are one means of having a traffic/play/dog tolerant surface that uses half the amount of water of a traditional cool season lawn
According to the “turf research lab” at New Mexico State University (NMSU), “Certain turf characteristics, such as climate adaptation, water use, traffic tolerance, color, quality, maintenance requirements, and available resources, are all factors that need to be considered when selecting a turf species. Climatic adaptation and traffic tolerance, which largely determine the future use of the turf area, are the two most important factors. Many problems encountered in maintaining turfs can be attributed directly to selecting the wrong turfgrasses for Albuquerque’s difficult growing conditions and to the lack of resources, especially water, that homeowners and professional turf growers face in the state.” This means that understanding how much traffic (kids and dogs playing) and our very dry local climate are how we should be selecting turf grass species not what the big box store happens to have in stock.
There are two different categories of turfgrasses: cool season and warm season. Common Cool season grasses are Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass and Tall Fescue. These are cold tolerant, green most of the year and hold up to extensive foot traffic. But they use a lot of water, up to 50” a year If efficiently irrigated. The water authority frequently has many customers (especially commercial customers) that water grass 80-100” per year! in a town that only gets an average 8” of precipitation. Common warm season grasses are Bermuda grass, Blue Grama and Buffalo Grass. Warm season grasses have a shorter growing season. This means they green up in mid spring, are low maintenance and require less water than cool season grasses. But blue grama and buffalo grass can’t take extensive foot and paw traffic plus they go dormant in the winter.
In my case, I had an existing native buffalo and blue grama grass lawn. It had always been perfect for our home. It’s native, low water use, easy to maintain and beautiful to look at. Fast forward to three kids and two dogs later. I was noticing wear and tear in certain areas of my lawn from two large dogs leaving run paths and kids playing soccer. I’m a professional landscape architect and knew Bermuda grass is a prolific spreader but in this case, I was actually looking for a grass to take over and fill in around the heavily accessed places in my yard. I found a species that could meet both my needs called Cynodon hybrida Dog Tuff ™ Grass Plugs, originally from High Country Gardens. There are many cultivars available check out the many options researched by NMSU. It is a Bermuda grass hybrid perfect for high traffic and play areas. It has excellent durability in yards with dogs. Once established, it is highly weed resistant, deep rooted and provides a soft, cushioned feel for bare feet.
The grass itself “produces an extensive system of creeping rhizomes and stolons commonly called runner roots that often have a scaly appearance. It also produces fibrous roots at the stem nodes. Bermuda grass reproduces through seed and vegetatively through rhizomes and stolons,” according to NMSU, allowing it to spread with just a little bit of water, around 20” a year. I find that it rarely needs mowing because of the traffic we give it. I mow it about twice a summer to the highest setting my mower goes around 4”.
The data on this grass comes from NMSU, which has turf study sites in Las Cruces and Farmington. A few key points from their study sites mentions that “Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is similar to Kentucky bluegrass in its tolerance to traffic and turfgrass recuperative capabilities after stress or damage, but it appeared to be more aggressive than Kentucky bluegrass during hot weather in mid-summer.” NMSU evaluated five different varieties of bermudagrass, Guymon, Riviera, Wrangler, and Yukon, at both their northern NM and southern NM sites. “Riviera was given higher quality ratings than the other varieties due to finer leaf blades. Being a warm-season grass, the bermudagrasses required less irrigation to exhibit a quality comparable to the cool-season grasses.”
The shocking reason homeowners don’t like Bermuda grass is that it can become a troublesome weed, especially in southern NM, so it is wise to separate this grass from garden areas with a dry, unirrigated buffer strip, concrete mow strip at least 8”x 8” or other barrier. I like to design a concrete walk, patio or edger around these grass areas.
When placed strategically in a landscape this water friendly, high traffic, low mow grass is a winner in my book.
Learn more here:
Basics about Turf Grasses for New Mexico
How to make a more efficient turfgrass landscape in New Mexico
Make your turfgrass irrigation more efficient in 3 easy steps.
