Behind the sleek green housing of the Zilker Valve is an integrated flow meter in the form of an axial turbine, which is unique in that it can measure and control water flow in cumulative gallons or inches—in contrast to the simplistic interval timer-based settings available on the typical controller for in-ground irrigation systems. A low-power latching solenoid and integrated circuit technology enable the Zilker Valve to operate for up to a year on a pair of AA batteries.
The Zilker Bridge communicates with each Zilker Valve by using a high-powered 915 Mhz radio, which facilitates a range 2.5 times that of normal WiFi. So, if you have a larger home with a hose bib and sprinkler on the far side of your garage, Zilker should be able to easily telepath its data back and forth.
As one would expect with modern smart-home tech, there will be anywhere, anytime access to Zilker through a mobile app, for the purposes of configuring the system, displaying alerts, graphically viewing water usage history by zone (each Zilker Valve equates to a zone in irrigation-speak), and more—though the software will run only on Apple iOS devices at launch.
Taking advantage of smart software and access to live local weather data, Zilker can, for example, reprogram itself based on the weather or warn you if freezing weather is approaching. Also, by virtue of its ability to meter water usage in gallons or inches, Zilker could be set to deliver an inch of water to, say, a section of turf through a rotary sprinkler, or 10 gallons to a small garden through a series of drip emitters. And by constantly and intelligently processing information, Zilker can alert you if a given garden hose has sprung a leak or the fact you forgot to open the hose tap.
Make no mistake, though: Zilker is designed to help you conserve water every day, by applying water only when and where in your landscape it is needed. Ultimately, that will reduce your monthly water bill and contribute to the overall sustainability posture of your homestead.