By making waterings more efficient — and automatically shutting off sprinklers when it rains — smart water timers like Orbit’s B-hyve are making it easier for homeowners to realize the joy of having beautiful lawns and gardens, while reducing their water footprint.
Across the United States, and especially in the West, droughts have become the norm. This year has been particularly dry in states like California, Utah, and Oregon.
“Populations are growing, but the water supply is not,” said Brad Wardle, vice president of Orbit’s smart home control division called B-hyve. He noted that Utah, for example, has one of the fastest-growing populations in the country; nearly 2 percent year over year.
To meet drought restrictions, many homeowners are replacing their lawns with dirt and gravel, as a grass lawn requires about 1 to 2 inches of water per week to stay healthy. However, by maximizing the gifts Mother Nature has to give, a smart water timer like B-hyve can help you greatly cut back on your water usage while maintaining a beautiful lawn.
Power of the hyve
The B-hyve Sprinkler Timer develops a watering schedule for your yard based on several factors, including soil type, shading, types of plants, sloping, and more. It’s also Wi-Fi enabled and adjusts the watering schedule based on local weather reports; meaning it will automatically shut off when it knows it’s about to rain. One household at a time, B-hyve is changing the way the world waters.
“‘Set it and forget it’ used to be a bad thing in our industry, because it meant people were setting up their timers and leaving them alone — so if it was raining, they were still watering,” Wardle said. “But that set-it-and-forget-it mentality is a good thing with a smart timer. If you set it up the right way, you can leave it alone and let the weather guide it for you, and it will adjust all year long.”
B-hyve users in Utah recently benefited from this feature. The state got record rainfall in early August, with some areas getting up to 7 inches of rain in a two-day stretch. Orbit estimated the water savings from B-hyve devices in the state during the week-long rainy stretch to be upwards of 315 million gallons, because of the number of sprinkler systems automatically shut off during that time.
The joy of gardening
While stuck at home throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of millions of people decided to try their hands at gardening and maintaining plant life in their yards and realized some stellar benefits of this healthy hobby.
“It’s been proven that if your team is trying to solve a really difficult problem, they’re actually more creative if you take them on a walk outside, rather than keeping them in a conference room,” said Michael Callahan, Orbit’s vice president of ecommerce and customer experience. “It’s also been proven that if you spend 45 minutes outdoors, or even indoors with plants, it will reduce the amount of cortisol in your system, which is what causes stress.”
The B-hyve Smart Sprinkler Timer helps homeowners enjoy the health and wellness benefits of gardening and the pleasure of having a beautiful lawn and garden, all while conserving an invaluable natural resource: water.
Learn more about B-hyve and find a retailer near you by visiting orbitonline.com/about-bhyve.
Giving back
Orbit is doing more than just helping homeowners reduce their water consumption. Through its charity program Orbit Cares, the company donates sprinklers to community garden programs across the country, extending their ability to serve healthy, whole foods to marginalized and under-served populations in their communities.
Orbit Cares also educates the millions of homeowners in the B-hyve Community about lack of access to fresh water in cities and towns in America. In 2022, Orbit Cares will kick off a series of campaigns dedicated to driving dollars to programs that are committed to ensuring every American has access to safe, fresh drinking water.
To learn more about smart water controls, visit orbitonline.com.