Bringing an old sprinkler system back to life at Totally Kids in Sun Valley

• Client: Totally Kids
• Property: Children’s clinic
• Location: La Tuna Canyon, Sun Valley
• Work: Irrigation audit, conversion from brass sprinklers to drip, system restoration, Hunter HCC controller, flow meter

The situation

The landscape at Totally Kids, a children’s clinic on La Tuna Canyon in Sun Valley, was watered by an old irrigation system that still relied on brass sprinklers. Systems like this are common on older properties in the San Fernando Valley. Over the years, brass spray heads wear, spray unevenly, and throw water onto walkways and walls instead of the plants they are meant to water. Parts of the system were no longer working the way they should.

For a clinic where families come and go all day, the irrigation also has to keep walkways dry and entrances looking cared for.

What we did

We started with an audit. Before replacing anything, we tested the timer, the wiring, and the valves, and ran each zone to see what was actually happening. That told us what could be repaired and what needed to change.

We converted the brass sprinklers to drip tubing. Drip puts water at the roots of the plants instead of spraying it across the surface, so less water is lost to overspray and evaporation and walkways stay dry.

We brought the system back into working order. The parts of the old system worth keeping were repaired so the whole landscape was covered again.

We installed a Hunter HCC controller. The HCC is a commercial controller. It replaced the old timer and runs the system on schedules set for what each area waters.

We added a flow meter. The flow meter measures how much water the system uses. A broken line or a stuck valve shows up as unusual flow, so it can be found and fixed quickly instead of showing up later on the water bill.

The result

Totally Kids now has a working irrigation system again: drip irrigation in place of worn brass sprinklers, a modern commercial controller, and flow monitoring that makes leaks visible.

Is your system like this one?

Older systems with brass or worn spray heads, failing timers, and no flow monitoring are common on commercial properties across Los Angeles County. An irrigation audit shows what can be saved and what should change. For drip conversions, controllers, and flow meters, see smart irrigation upgrades.