Smart Irrigation Controller Program

About the Program

Great news for homeowners and small business owners with existing irrigation systems in Cottage Grove! The City of Cottage Grove's Smart Irrigation Controller Program is kicking off again! What's more, we are expanding the opportunity to include small businesses within the community with irrigation systems.

With the assistance of the South Washington Watershed District (SWWD), we have partnered with Rachio to provide 150 smart irrigation controllers for the discounted purchase price of $35, which represents substantial savings over the retail price. This phenomenal deal will save you money on the purchase and on your water bill, and will ultimately help the City conserve our precious resource - water.

If you meet the following qualifications, you are eligible to apply to purchase a controller:

  • Own a home or business within the City of Cottage Grove
  • Home or business is connected to City water
  • Home or business has an existing, functioning irrigation system with no more than 16 zones
  • Owner has an Apple (iOS 10.3 or higher) or Android (4.4 or higher) smartphone
  • Property has Wi-Fi with 2.4GHz or 5GHz access
  • Owner has not received an irrigation controller for their property through this program in previous years

Distribution

The smart irrigation controllers will be distributed on a first-come/first-served basis to eligible applicants. Approval of applications will be metered with daily processing limitations to control the volume of traffic at our distribution location and you may not receive a notification on the status of your application, along with instructions for picking up controllers, for several business days. Please be patient!

Applicants must agree to the following:

  • Approved applicant must pay for controller online in advance of picking it up
  • Install the controller within 30 days of receipt
  • Agree to allow the City to verify the installation
  • Agree to maintain and not remove the controller from the Cottage Grove property as long as it is operational
  • Acknowledge that future water use may be monitored to assess program effectiveness

Before installation, you or a qualified professional should assess the condition of your irrigation system and fix any problems. 

Common issues to look for:

  • Damaged, broken, malfunctioning sprinkler heads
  • Leaking sprinkler heads, valves, pipes, and joints
  • Pressure issues such as misting (high pressure), and low or weak spray (low pressure)

If you have questions about the installation process, Rachio provides a detailed installation guide with videos, or a printable manual available for download. Once your new Smart Irrigation Controller is installed, Rachio can help you recycle your old controller. For more information or questions about the program or the application process, Jared Juth, Graduate Engineer, or call him at 651-458-2829.

Click here to apply: https://docs.cottagegrovemn.gov/Forms/Irrigation