Going Green with Smart Water Management: What Works for Schools

Date: September 16, 2026
Time: 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Ballroom A

Water is the one resource most schools have no green initiative for. Hear how three districts approached water management from beginning to end, alongside the consultant who designs and specifies these systems for schools and municipalities across the state. From districts running lean to multi-site portfolios, learn what worked and what didn’t in rolling out smart irrigation management. If water is your next green initiative, learn from people who have already done it: how they scoped and funded the project, how quickly it went in, and why the return can often beat the other utility projects on their list.

Most campuses have a plan for energy, waste, and transportation. Water is usually the one utility with no green initiative behind it and no real visibility into how much is being used. This session is a shortcut past the trial and error: the consultant who designs these systems, the contractor who installs and manages them across districts, and the technician who lives with one every day tell you plainly what worked, what didn’t, and what they’d do differently. You’ll leave knowing where water fits in your capital plan and what a realistic first step looks like on your own campus.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Attendees will learn to:

• Recognize the conditions that push a university or district toward smart water management: no real-time visibility into water use, aging irrigation infrastructure, lean maintenance staffing, and pressure from conservation mandates or new stewardship goals.
• Evaluate water the way your campus or district evaluates other capital work: where it fits in capital planning, how it competes with energy and other utility projects for the same dollars, and what moves it up the priority list.
• Specify a project that holds up: what to require in a design and bid package, what makes installation and programming turnkey, and what it takes to standardize irrigation across sites.
• Plan a rollout from a single pilot site to district-wide deployment, and see how flow monitoring catches leaks and line breaks in real time — plus the gains a lean crew feels first: remote access and control, fewer site visits, better water use visibility.

Moderators:
Mark Huntzinger, Regional Manager, HydroPoint
Danny Smith, Southern California, HydroPoint

Panelists:
Vincent Pinckard, Irrigation Specialist, Jurupa Unified School District
Dave Langendorff, Principal, Irrigation Consultant, ISC Group, Inc.
Tyler Leidenfrost, CEO, Bill & Dave’s Landscape Maintenance Inc., Representative for Menifee Union School District and Perris Elementary School District

Mark Huntzinger has been involved in the landscape and irrigation industry for nearly 50 years, serving clients across the country. With deep expertise ranging from field repairs and grove management to central control system design and implementation, Mark brings both technical knowledge and practical insights to every project. As a training course facilitator, Mark is passionate about helping others succeed by sharing the lessons he’s learned throughout his extensive career. His hands-on approach and industry perspective make his sessions both informative and engaging. Outside of work, Mark enjoys traveling, exploring great food, and spending time with his wife and three children. If you’d like to connect with Mark to learn more about HydroPoint Data Systems, you can reach him at mhuntzinger@hydropoint.com or 760.484.4907.

Daniel Smith leads the Southern California market for HydroPoint, advancing smart irrigation technologies and water management strategies for resilient, high-performing landscapes. With over 15 years of experience in sustainable landscape practices throughout Southern California, his expertise spans landscape contracting, irrigation and water resource management, green infrastructure, and environmental performance technologies. His background includes managing large-scale water conservation initiatives, utility rebate programs, and navigating California’s regulatory environment, including AB 1572 and the transition away from potable irrigation of nonfunctional turf.

Daniel holds multiple certifications through the Irrigation Association, alongside credentials as an ISA Certified Arborist, Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL), EPA WaterSense partner, and Recycled Water Site Supervisor. Additionally, he serves on the Irrigation Association Certification Board and participates in advocacy initiatives with both the Irrigation Association and the American Society of Irrigation Consultants, contributing a contractor- and market-based perspective to water policy and responsible irrigation. His current work focuses on the intersection of green infrastructure management, landscape sustainability, irrigation technology, and responsible water resource management in Southern California.