Shortages of water are in part a result of pollution, according to irrigation consultant Larry Keesen, whose recent pro-jections on the future of the irrigation industry appeared in the Summer 1994 issue of Colorado Green. Keesen describes water supply issues as having the greatest potential impact on the landscape irrigation industry and post-ulates that technology is developing at such a rapid pace that the irrigation system of 2015 may not yet be invented.

Keesen forsees rising water and maintenance costs leading to:

• Subsurface irrigation as the only method of irrigating landscapes.

• Operational restrictions to eliminate evaporation losses, conflicts with indoor-use peak demands, and excessive annual usage.

• Certified Water Managers monitoring areas exceeding one acre.

• Separate volume metering and flow sensor devices for automatic turn-off and notification of maintenance if leaks occur.

• Nutrient, pesticide, and oxygen injection systems which eliminate the need for traditional aeration, spray, and other fertilization practices.

• Separate piping systems for untreated water supplies for new systems.

• Low-cost solar-powered controls for remote data processing, communication, and adjustment.

As a past Director of the Irrigation Association (IA), who has been involved in the development of IA certification and water management training programs, Keesen told LASN that he also sees these conservative estimates as eventualities that provide opportunities for consultants experienced in irrigation technology.

After 34 years in all facets of the landscape irrigation business - design, installation, main-tenance, manufacturing, and education, Keesen has compiled his publications on irrigation practice from the design processes through water management in a book, The Complete Irrigation Workbook, to be published by GIE in November.