Hayward Offers Residents Discounted Smart Sprinkler Controllers

HAYWARD, CA — Despite the recent rain moving the area from extreme to severe drought and the current La Niña conditions, California’s water problems continue leading the city of Hayward to leave Stage 2 water shortage restrictions in place.

Restrictions include using covers on pools and spas, prohibition of use of nonessential water for commercial and industrial use and limiting residential irrigation to three evenings per week.

While water usage can be tough to manage for some, the city of Hayward announced in a news release it hopes to help residents reduce their usage by adding the Rachio 3 Smart Irrigation Controller to its conservation incentive programs, providing residents with a $180 discount on the device, normally priced at $280.

“The Rachio 3 Smart Irrigation Controller is compatible with most sprinkler systems and boasts average savings of 20% to 30% on customer water bills by automatically turning your system off based on need,” the news release said.

According to the city, the controller can also be used to “create tailored schedules and make automatic weather adjustments to keep in line with Hayward’s current water use restrictions” and offers the option for homeowners to control their sprinklers from their mobile devices and other smart technologies, like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Homekit, Nest and more.

Residents of Hayward can purchase the controller for $100 plus tax by submitting an application which can be accessed online.

More drought restrictions, resources and conservation incentive programs, including a residential self-audit tool, information on how to obtain free water conservation fixtures and information on the city’s lawn rebate program can be found on the city’s website.