For the second year in a row, Rain Bird has won the Irrigation Association’s New Product Contest in the category of Landscape Irrigation. While last year’s winner, the ESP-LXIVM controller, was a technological game-changer with advanced features, this year’s product goes back to the basics.

Winning the IA’s 2021 New Product Contest for Landscape Irrigation was the new Flow-Indicating Basket Filter from our drip irrigation division. This system is simple and easy to use, yet remarkably effective.

The Flow-Indicating Basket Filter is an all-in-one solution to drip zone management for contractors or property managers. Users can monitor flow rates at a glance, clean the filter efficiently, and keep system pressure regulated — all with this one tool.

“Nobody has this. This feature on a filter doesn’t exist in the market otherwise,” says Whitney Braun, Product Manager for the Flow-Indicating Basket Filter. Whitney joined Rain Bird in November of 2020 and helped the team to bring this filter to the market. 

What Sets The Flow-Indicating Basket Filter Apart

What makes the Flow-Indicating Basket Filter so special? First, for drip irrigation, filtration is key. The low flow rate of water means there isn’t enough pressure to push contaminants along and out, which could lead to clogged emitters. An effective filter helps prevent this.

The filter itself, however, will get filled with dirt and other contaminants and need to be cleaned.  Our basket filter design makes this easy! “When you clean out this filter, the basket comes up and out, and it holds all the debris with it,” explains Whitney. “Most filters on the market are designed in a way where there’s a likelihood that the junk, when you’re trying to clean out, gets back in the line.”

The basket filter is then bundled with a flow indicator. Upon installation, the indicator can be set to the optimal flow rate and locked in place. As the water flows through the filter, the gauge shows at a glance whether the flow rate is in the ideal range or not.

“Think about these contractors, they’re walking by a valve box — [and] they may have a bunch of valve boxes — and instead of having to get in there and open every single filter to see if it needs to be cleaned, they can look and see whether it’s operating where it should be …. They can do a drive-by basically and get the information that they need on what’s going on with their zone. It saves them a lot of time,” says Whitney.

The Flow-Indicating Basket Filter And The Intelligent Use Of Water™

Aside from saving users time, the Flow-Indicating Basket Filter also makes it easy to audit, understand, and maintain zones. Users can detect leaks early just by checking the gauge, rather than waiting for water to be visible. They can also better monitor the performance of their zones on a day-to-day basis. The system also includes a pressure regulator, which prevents pressure surges from causing blowouts.

Drip irrigation is one of the best ways to conserve water while providing optimal hydration to plants. These systems water plants right at the root, eliminating water loss due to evaporation, runoff, and wind that traditional sprinkler systems face. This efficiency means a better, smarter use of water.

Whitney and her colleagues in the drip irrigation team are continuing to improve these products and expand their use. They are working to find the best solutions for a range of plant life, including trees, and ensuring that drip zones can work in tandem with the latest Rain Bird controllers. The Flow-Indicating Basket Filter and other new products are just one aspect of our sustainability initiative.

Working At Rain Bird

Since joining the Rain Bird team in 2020, Whitney has nothing but great things to say about her experience. “Rain Bird’s people have been very welcoming. That kind of environment is awesome,” she says. “In a Product Manager role, we have a position where we interact with almost every function in the company. We get the opportunity to meet fascinating people at the plant, in the sales teams — in addition to those that are sitting in our office with us.”

Are you interested in working at Rain Bird as a Product Manager — or in another role? Rain Bird has job openings for engineers, salespeople, marketers, and more at our headquarters in Tucson, Arizona, and around the world. Visit our Careers page and find the right opportunity for you!