Smart Irrigation Month: Championing water efficiency together

Every July, the irrigation industry pauses to celebrate something worth celebrating — the work being done every day to use water more wisely. Smart Irrigation Month, led by the Irrigation Association, is that annual reminder of why this industry matters and a rallying point for professionals across agricultural and landscape irrigation to make some noise about it.

Water efficiency is everyone’s work

The numbers behind the irrigation industry tell an important story. With an estimated $30 billion in economic output and over 200,000 jobs across the country, this is an industry that quietly underpins American agriculture, food production and the health of our landscapes. But the stakes are bigger than economics. As water availability grows more uncertain in region after region, the choices made at the system-design level, such as the sensors installed, the scheduling decisions made and the technologies deployed, have a real and lasting impact on whether farms and communities have enough water for the future.

That’s the spirit Smart Irrigation Month taps into each July. It’s not just a campaign; it’s a collective statement that efficient water use is a professional commitment shared across growers, manufacturers, designers, consultants, educators and everyone in between.

Getting involved in July

There’s no shortage of ways to participate. The IA makes it easy with a full library of free downloadable resources at smartirrigationmonth.org — social media graphics, template press releases and promotional tools that anyone in the industry can use to share their own Smart Irrigation Month message. Whether you’re posting from the field, the office or the trade show floor, these tools help you join a much larger conversation.

One of the most visible traditions of the month is Wear Blue Wednesday, this year on July 15. The original concept was simple but effective: Participants wore blue, posted photos on social media and tagged the IA. What started as a fun, low-barrier way to show solidarity has become one of the most recognizable moments of the month — a visual demonstration of just how many people across the industry care about smart water use.

Follow the IA on social media to stay connected to what’s happening. Use #SmartIrrigationMonth to add your voice.

Voices from the industry

Throughout July, we’ll be posting a series of Q&As on irrigationtoday.org featuring leaders and experts from across the irrigation industry — conversations that go beyond the basics to explore how these professionals champion smart irrigation in their own roles, organizations and communities.

These aren’t press releases or product pitches. They’re genuine conversations with people who are thinking hard about water efficiency, advancing technology, shaping policy and building the next generation of irrigation professionals. If you want to understand what Smart Irrigation Month means to the people who are driving this industry forward, these are the conversations to read.

Watch irrigationtoday.org throughout July for new Q&As as they’re posted.

Make July count

This July, share your story, wear your blue, follow the conversation and read what your peers have to say. The irrigation industry has a compelling case to make about the value of efficient water management, and Smart Irrigation Month is the best platform we have to make it.

Join the IA, Irrigation Today and the thousands of irrigation professionals who use July to show the world what this industry stands for.

For Smart Irrigation Month resources, visit smartirrigationmonth.org. For the Q&A series and additional coverage, visit irrigationtoday.org.