Parks & Rec Master Plan; Irrigation Control System
Evaluation and Irrigation Operation & Maintenance Evaluation
Phoenix, AZ
Honor Award: Water Management, Planning & Analysis
SUBMITTED BY
Doug Macdonald, Verdantas
PROJECT OVERVIEW
- Led development of the City of Phoenix Parks Master Plan, guiding parks, facilities, and services for the next 10+ years
- Multi-disciplinary effort integrating planning, engineering, and community engagement
- Included system-wide assessments of existing plans, community needs, demographics, and capital investments
- The scope focused on two key areas: o Evaluation and standardization of irrigation control system programming across 25 parks o Assessment of equipment, staffing, and maintenance practices to improve system-wide operations
- Delivered a comprehensive Master Plan with strategies for water conservation, operational efficiency, and long-term resource management
ROLE OF THE IRRIGATION CONSULTANT
- Evaluated irrigation systems and control programming across 25 municipal parks
- Assessed equipment, system performance, staffing, and maintenance practices
- Identified deficiencies in controls, equipment, and operational consistency
- Developed standardized irrigation programming and a citywide management strategy
- Created system-wide Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Guidelines and Manual
SPECIAL FACTORS
- Subject to strict ADWR groundwater regulations and AMA safe-yield requirements
- Required compliance with Maximum Annual Water Allotments (MAWA) for turf irrigation
- Lack of as-built drawings addressed through GPS mapping and field-based system documentation
- Field assessments informed lifecycle planning, maintenance needs, and system improvements
- Two-year duration enabled evaluation of seasonal performance and staffing trends
