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