The Mobile Irrigation Lab is a service geared toward saving water. Residents can have a soil expert come to their house and check their soil for moisture and their irrigation system to determine how well it’s working, and it educates them on how to use the system. The $202,000 program is funded through a grant and multiple government agencies, including $44,560 from Lee.

The Lee Soil & Water Conservation District Board voted Jan. 11 to eliminate the lab, saying the program was a waste of tax money.

Commissioner Frank Mann called it “a little program … not worth saving” because it’s seen as inefficient, and he speculates that private irrigation specialists should be able to handle the needs of the public. Commissioner Bob Janes said the county’s $44,000 contribution could be put toward advertising to get the message out about the importance of having sprinkler systems adjusted and understanding them.

The program is said to have saved 18 million gallons of water a year through educating the public on how to properly use their sprinkler systems and making adjustments to the systems.