Providing Safe Reliable Service During a Pandemic (Copy)

First, let us say we are grateful for our community, your patronage, and understanding, as we have all been struggling with the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic during the past year, some more so than others. Fortunately, Alpenglow Sprinkler had a successful year despite the procedural realities of maintaining both our staff's and our customers’ safety.

Please review some of the steps we’ve taken to ensure we’re all able to keep our irrigation systems running efficiently while doing our part to protect ourselves and each other from the spread of COVID-19.

Ever since the State of Colorado's stay-at-home orders were implemented last March to curb the rate of spread of the coronavirus, Alpenglow Sprinkler has been complicit with the CDC's and the State of Colorado's health recommendations.

-Brad Petscheck, Owner and Founder

Helping our community:

In early March when there were scarcely any signs of the pandemic in the region, it was evident that the area's supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was critically low. Consequently, Alpenglow saw fit to donate whatever N95 masks and latex gloves it had on hand to the Poudre Valley Hospital (PVH).

In addition, Alpenglow Sprinkler had hundreds of locally produced triple-layered cotton masks manufactured expressly for the purpose of donating them. Many of these were donated to PVH and to the Larimer County Food Bank, while most of the remainder of these masks ended up being enjoyed by many of our customers.

Maintaining the safety of our clients and staff was paramount in Alpenglow's quest to install and/or service and repair the irrigation systems it was given the opportunity to work on. This is the main reason Alpenglow postponed its fire-up season until Governor Polis lifted our state's stay-at-home orders on April 27th, 2020.

-Brad

Keeping you and our technicians safe:

In addition to passing out hundreds of its locally manufactured masks, Alpenglow made sure it provided every work vehicle with an adequate supply of extra-strength disinfectant to be sprayed on commonly touched surfaces such as sprinkler controller faceplates and knobs as well as door handles when applicable.

Alpenglow's technicians were also instructed to maintain at least a 6-foot social distance between themselves and their customers, as well as any personnel they came in contact with.

One way Alpenglow promoted social distancing by requesting its clients to assist in turning on the sprinkler turn-on valves that are typically located in the basement of most properties. To aid in the carrying out of this procedure, a short video of "How to Turn on Your Sprinkler Water" was posted on the Alpenglow Sprinkler website.

If the client wasn't able to perform this function, the technician on the site would be sure to mask up and wear water and mud-proof booties on their feet before entering the customers' homes. 

-Brad

Please rest assured that the Alpenglow staff are committed to following these safety precautions for the foreseeable future. With the ramp-up of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution, the steps we take moving forward will no doubt greatly influence the quality of life we all enjoy for years to come.

We look forward to a beautiful Colorado Spring with you all.

The Soil/Water/Plant Relationship

Growing healthy viable plants is the goal of most homeowners and property managers as this invariably affects the property's habitability. After all, plants can provide shade, privacy, protection from the elements, and soil stabilization, as well as aesthetic beauty and charm. In order to maximize the health and vigor of a property's plant life, it is advisable to better understand the relationship that soil and water have on these plants.

It has been proven that plants don't need just nutrients, but also air and of course the correct amount of water within the root zone for optimal growth. Too much water and the plants' roots will decay from an anaerobic condition. Conversely, too much air (i.e. not enough water) will produce a decreased growth rate or possibly death if the permanent wilting point is surpassed. Balancing the introduction of water and air into the soil is the primary objective of the irrigation manager.

Soil is generally the term used for the surface soil or topsoil on a site where the majority of plants extract the nutrients and water necessary for growth. In the arid West, more specifically along the Front Range of Colorado, this top layer is predominantly mineral or inorganic in composition. In other words, these soils are very limited, if not mostly void, of any organic matter or humus. This, in turn, affects the suitability of the soil for the introduction of water and air into the soil, both of which are necessary for optimal plant growth.

Of course, the composition and texture of the soils within the Northern Front Range and even within a given community varies considerably. However, since some generalities can be made about the types of soil prevalent in our area, some entities, such as the City of Fort Collins, have passed legislation concerning the amending of soils to help in the health and vigor of plant life. More specifically, the City of Fort Collins mandates the introduction and tilling in of prescribed amounts of organic matter in the top 6-12 inches of the topsoil before the implementation of any new landscapes in order to encourage root growth. This promotes the availability of nutrients and the introduction of both water and air into the root zone of the affected soils.

`Many homeowners and property managers take on the job of an irrigation manager by themselves as a cost-cutting alternative. This can prove to accomplish just the opposite if the plant/soil/water relationship is not taken into consideration because both the health and vigor of the plants can be negatively impacted. Consequently, the application rates of the sprinkler zones and the various microclimates as well as the topography and layout of the landscape to be watered within a given site should be taken into account when a sprinkler system's schedule is formulated. However, all of these factors are influenced either directly or indirectly by the soils and the landscape plantings present on the site.

Generally speaking, the predominant clay soils of the Front Range take water in at a very slow rate, but also "let go" of this plant-available water at an equally slow rate. The compaction of these soils adds significantly to this decreased rate of water and air availability. It is for this reason, the practice of mechanically aerating the soils along the Front Range is commonly accepted in an attempt to increase the availability of both air and water in the surface soils.

The proper scheduling of any irrigation system goes hand in hand with the knowledge and understanding of the soils present on the site. No matter how dialed-in a sprinkler system's schedule may seem, the manager of any irrigation system needs to be observant of the landscape's health, as optimal scheduling is a matter of continually tweaking the start and run times. For example, the perceptive irrigation manager is aware that Kentucky bluegrass turf is a good indicator of proper irrigation scheduling as it tends to turn a bluish tint when it begins to reach its wilting point. Knowing this, he/she allows the bluegrass lawn to be watered only once the turf begins to turn this off-green color. This in turn helps promote a deeper root growth as the turf searches for more water. Consequently, a healthier turf is achieved as the root zone expands downward and allows for the absorption of more nutrients and water. This is especially effective during a prolonged drought, either during the off-season when the irrigation system is turned off or whenever water restrictions are in force.

In summary, Alpenglow Sprinkler is constantly striving to reach that optimal balance between saving water and money(!) for our clients while providing just enough water for the optimal health of our customer's lawns and landscape plants. We appreciate the opportunity to work on your sprinkler systems and help keep your landscapes healthy!

North Colorado Water Situation

Most of you are probably aware that much of Colorado has been going through a substantial period of drought. The wildfires that this state experienced last summer, which lasted well into late fall, were indicative of these extremely dry conditions. In fact, a large portion of the West, from Montana to New Mexico and Colorado to the Pacific Coast, is experiencing some degree of water shortages.

This winter the Colorado Mountains have been receiving less snow than they normally do. Even after the record snowfall of March 13th and 14th, the snowpack in the South Platte River Basin, which includes the Poudre River drainage, still measured less than 100% of average. Statewide Colorado's snowpack has been shown to be approximately 92% of normal at the time of this writing (mid-March).

Fortunately for the Fort Collins area residents, it appears there are sufficient water reserves for the upcoming summer season for both residential and commercial landscape use. The Horsetooth Outlet Project upgrade was completed by early November and Horsetooth Reservoir is fast on its way to becoming full, most likely by late May or early June.

Thankfully, it doesn't seem water restrictions will be imposed this growing season, although the Northern Colorado Water Conservation District hasn't announced that determination yet. We can only hope that extreme weather occurrences don’t put a wrinkle in that prediction!

Proposed Work at Ft. Collins Water Treatment Plant to Impact Landscape Water Use

As many of you are aware, Larimer County residents who utilize water supplied through the Ft. Collins Water Treatment Plant (including City of Fort Collins, West Fort Collins, ELCO and Ft. Collins/ Loveland Water customers) will be asked to curtail their lawn watering beginning October 1, 2020.

This unusual request is being made as water that is typically supplied by the Big Thompson Water Diversion will no longer be made available while improvements are being made to the Soldier Canyon Intake at Horsetooth Reservoir. Starting on October 1st, all of the aforementioned water purveyors will be drawing their water out of the Poudre River in a significantly reduced capacity.

Since over 50% of our summertime water usage is typically used to keep our lawns green and healthy, this request is expected to ease the demand on our limited water supply while the water treatment plant undergoes the proposed construction work. Although many of our lawns will "take a hit" when we turn off our sprinkler systems, most of the lawns will simply go into a dormant state and should recover next Spring when we turn our systems back on.

Please understand this does NOT mean that Alpenglow Sprinkler will be able to winterize all of its customers during the first week or two of October, although we intend to winterize as many systems as possible during that time! We are asking our customers to turn off their sprinkler controllers on the evening of September 30th, as well as the water feed to those systems, and to be sure to schedule their sprinkler blowout! Since the temperatures are prone to falling below 32 degrees F, drainage of the above-ground pipes is also recommended until the system is properly winterized.

Fitrite Backflow Covers Help Prevent Freeze Damage

Fitrite Backflow Covers Help Prevent Freeze Damage

The Fitrite backflow cover is intended to help extend the irrigation season by protecting backflow assemblies that are installed outside and above-ground from freeze damage that would otherwise be prone to sudden drops in outside temperatures.

In order to do this, the cover is made of weatherproof insulating materials and use Velcro hook and loop closures on three of it's four sides to facilitate it's installation. This also allows two covers to be joined together to help protect larger backflow assemblies.

The weatherproof properties of the insulation used in it's manufacturing allows the Fitrite cover to retain it's insulating properties regardless of the weather it is exposed to. Consequently, the cover maintains it's usefulness even after the backflow assembly it is covering "dumps" water as many are designed to occasionally do.

The Fitrite cover is by no means designed to substitute for properly draining or winterizing a sprinkler system's backflow device. Neither will the cover protect against periods of prolonged periods of temperatures below 32 degrees F or when outside temperatures drop well below 25 degrees F. To maintain the integrity of a backflow device under these conditions, it is recommended to provide an adequate safe source of heat or properly drain the water from the backflow assembly. If a home or property owner is unsure how to take these evasive steps, the help of a knowledgeable professional is recommended.

Contrary to popular belief, the use of a Fitrite backflow cover is not necessary once a sprinkler system's baclflow device is drained or winterized, nor is it generally needed between June 15th and September 15th in the Northern Hemisphere. During these times it is best to store the cover indoors as it should last significantly longer when it is not exposed to the elements.

Please feel free to call Alpenglow Sprinkler if you have any questions or would like to request a Fitrite cover to be installed on your bacflow assembly to ensure it's proper installation and the piece of mind it provides!