When you have over 75,000 students, 8,500 staff members, some of the best sports teams, and the highest graduation rate in the state, you're working hard everyday to stay on top of the game. Brevard County Public Schools, in Viera, Florida, have a lot of turf to cover, so when it came to upgrading all of their athletic fields, they turned to Hunter, and, with the aid of distributor Pump and Supply and Hunter's own Rod Waller, John Hemphill, and Brian Walker, were able to create quite a masterpiece.

Are You Tough Enough?

One winner deserves another, so the Governor's Sterling Award winning district now uses the similarly recognized and respected PGP, complemented by a full lineup of other Hunter rotors, including I-20s, I-25s, I-40s, and I-60s. Brevard's Grounds Department Lead Matthew Nolle selected Pro Spray pop-ups with MP Rotators, for maximum water efficiency.

The fields, and the system, need to be both tough and versatile, something that both Hunter and Brevard are familiar with. Says Nolle, "We are upgrading all of our athletic fields first. We use these fields for football, soccer, baseball, and softball. The fields are also used for other activities like graduation and Relay for Life activities."

When it came to upgrading all controllers, Nolle opted for the powerful ACCs, for adaptable modular design that allows for fully customizable station configuration. And as far as a central control, Nolle had some good reasons for his choice of the IMMS-ET, "We decided to upgrade to a central control because we are such a long county. At over 80 miles long, Brevard County can be a lot of drive time." And that means not only the ease of central control, but saved costs on fuel and labor, a smart choice with school budgets in crisis. "IMMS allows us to monitor our irrigation systems from one central location and to dispatch people for any repairs as needed."

Nolle continues on about the benefits of the new Hunter system, "In addition to using less water, we are also saving time and labor." How much less? According to Walker, Brevard is seeing a 40 percent water savings thanks to IMMS. And regarding the labor, Nolle points out, "I usually know about a problem before our schools do and can respond quickly."

A View From the Top

They are also installing cameras to view all facilities. Using IMMS, field conditions can be monitored in real time, with irrigation systems being operated remotely. Now any impending issues are seen and able to be addressed as quickly, and as efficiently, as possible.

And the system is getting voted "Most Popular" at this district: "Most of the schools and coaches like the idea of central controls. Some were a little nervous at first but they came on board when they saw it in action."