What is reticulation? Costs and common faults in Perth

What is reticulation? In Perth it is the in-ground sprinkler system: pipes, valves, heads and a controller that waters the lawn and garden on a timer. Perth gardeners often say they need to check the retic, which is the same thing. The term is the everyday WA word for it, and it is at the centre of how Perth gardens get watered under the sprinkler roster. This guide explains the parts, the watering rules you need to follow, the faults to check first, and what the quotes show for installation.

What is reticulation: the parts of a system

A typical reticulation system has five parts. The BD Water article, from a Perth irrigation business, names the components its work covers.

• Controller. The timer that sets when each zone runs. Smart controllers are an option. One of the quotes in the cost section below says a smart controller adds about $300 over a standard one.
• Solenoid valves. One electric valve per zone. The controller opens it when that zone should run. BD Water lists installing solenoid valves as part of its work.
• Zone pipe lines. The buried network that carries water to each zone. BD Water mentions replacing old reticulation lines.
• Sprinkler heads. Pop-up heads that rise when their zone runs. BD Water refers to replacing broken sprinklers.
• Supply and pump. A bore or a mains connection feeds the system. BD Water says a bore pump should deliver strong, consistent pressure.

Water Corporation’s advice to group plants by water need applies to the layout too. Where possible, put the lawn and the garden beds on separate zones, so each one can run for its own time.

When to water: the roster

The sprinkler roster is set by Water Corporation and the state government, and it applies to scheme water and to bores. The rules that matter most:

• Water only once on your rostered watering days, before 9am or after 6pm. Water Corporation says the same thing on its watering days page.
• Your days come from your street number and postcode, not your suburb. Unit and apartment numbers are ignored. If the property spans several street numbers, use the highest. If there is no street number, use the lot number.
• Sprinklers switch off from 1 June to 31 August in Perth and the South West. Hand watering is permitted during the switch-off.
• A new lawn or garden needs a temporary exemption to water outside the normal rules. There is no automatic exemption.
• Breaches can be fined $100. To report a breach, use Water Corporation’s 24/7 Waterwise helpline on 13 10 39.

Water Corporation’s pages we opened do not state how many watering days a week apply, so this article does not give a number. Use the lookup on its watering days page.

Plan the controller around the roster, not around the weather. If you are unsure which day is yours, check the lookup before you set the program. A controller set to the wrong day breaks the rule even when the timer itself works.

Common faults to check

BD Water names the faults its team deals with: broken sprinklers, solenoid valves, controllers, leaks and blockages. Use that as the starting list, then work through the list below. Before you call a technician, note which zone is affected, what time it runs and what you see at the heads. That information shortens the diagnosis and the bill.

1. A zone runs at the wrong time, or not at all. Check the controller program against your rostered days and times first.
2. Water comes up when the zone should be off. Report it to a technician. BD Water lists solenoid valves among the parts it installs and replaces.
3. Broken or sunken pop-up heads. Replace the broken head. BD Water refers to replacing broken sprinklers.
4. Low pressure, a leak or a blockage. BD Water says it fixes blockages and detects leaks.

Treat mains-powered parts with care, and call a technician for anything involving the controller wiring or the mains connection.

What it costs

The cost evidence here comes from a commercial source, so treat every figure as a guide, not as a quote from us. WhatsTheDamage shows three Perth landscaping quotes that each include a reticulation line:

• Quote A: $19,400 total, including a four-station system with a smart Wi-Fi controller at $2,400. The page says the smart controller adds about $300 over a standard one.
• Quote B: $22,800 total, including a four-station system with a standard controller at $2,800.
• Quote C: $14,200 total, with reticulation left out. When asked, the landscaper said it would cost $2,800 to add. The page’s own add-back figure uses $2,400.

The same page says a cheap quote often leaves reticulation out, and puts reticulation at $2,000 to $3,000. The add-back figures conflict ($2,400 and $2,800), so both are shown. The chart in Figure 3 sets out the three quotes.

The sources we opened do not give a repair price for a solenoid valve or a controller.

Ask for reticulation as its own line on any landscaping quote, with the number of stations and the controller type. That makes the quotes comparable. Check whether the controller, the solenoid valve for each zone and the pipe work are listed separately. A single lump-sum reticulation figure hides the number of stations, which is the number that lets you compare two quotes fairly.

Installing a new lawn with reticulation

If you are laying a new lawn, you will need a temporary exemption to water outside the normal roster, because there is no automatic exemption for new lawns. We install lawn and turf as well as reticulation, so we can talk through both together. Our lawn installation in Perth page covers the turf side.

Frequently asked questions