RAIN BIRD DONATES IRRIGATION SUPPLEMENT
FOR TUCSON IRRIGATION TEST, SAVING CITY
TIME, MONEY
GLENDORA, Calif. (November 5, 2006) -
Helping cities to make a little water go a long way, Rain
Bird announced it has donated 24 cases of its Rain
Bird Irrigation Supplement (RBIS) to the Tucson, Ariz. transportation department,
which is testing new means of irrigation for plants in city
right-of-ways. RBIS is water bound in the form of
a solid gel that slowly converts back into water over a period
of 30 to 90 days. RBIS delivers continuous moisture,
saving time and money by increasing intervals between manual
waterings and reducing the associated labor costs.
In order to help establish the new plants in
a region that sees little rainfall, Tucson officials began
testing a new roadway design earlier this year that would
direct rainwater run-off directly on to roadside plants. Knowing
that officials were seeking innovative ideas beyond simple
irrigation to help establish the plants, Rain Bird requested
their RBIS product be tested.
The city of Tucson was pleased to conduct a
three-part trial of the RBIS to determine its effectiveness. Several
RBIS are being installed with plants in two of the three
planting areas. A third area is testing the roadway
design that delivers water run-off to the plants and receives
occasional hand-watering. The areas containing
the RBIS have both native and non-native plants and will
be observed for two years or until the plants are fully established.
"Rain Bird is excited to work with the city
of Tucson to help it find solutions to its irrigation needs," said
Kraig Wilson, associate product manager for Rain Bird. "We're
confident that the RBIS will help the new plants thrive and
will provide city officials with significant savings not
only in its water bills but also in reducing its irrigation
labor."
ABOUT RAIN BIRD
CORPORATION
Based in Glendora, CA, Rain Bird Corporation is the leading
manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services.
Since its beginnings in 1933, Rain Bird has offered the industry’s
broadest range of irrigation products for farms, golf courses,
sports arenas, commercial developments and homes in more
than 130 countries around the world. Rain Bird has been awarded
more than 130 patents, including the first in 1935 for the
impact sprinkler. Rain Bird and The Intelligent Use of Water™ is
about using water wisely. Its commitment extends beyond products
to education, training and services for the industry and
the community. Rain Bird maintains state-of-the-art manufacturing
assembly facilities in the United States, France, Sweden
and Mexico. www.rainbird.com
