Rick---I have 2 electronic control boxes. One in the garage does 8 zones in the front yard. The other in my shed controls 13 zones in the backyard. Most of the zones are large drip zones or emitters. Some are lawn sprinklers. The 10 faucets all have battery operated timers. I use a combo of drip emitters for things like baskets and pots, and 1/2 circle sprayers for perennial beds. Some are straight drip also. It's all very complicated, but I've got it down to an art form. I do zero hand watering on 2 acres of lawn/gardens. I detest hand watering. Most is drip, so I use minimal water. I'm on a well. I, too, worry about a PVC pipe breaking or a timer malfunctioning. But I keep a pretty close eye on things, and we use a house sitter when we are on vacation. She knows how to shut off the water manually if that were ever necessary. I usually only need to operate these watering systems mid July to mid September. It's slightly unusual that I'm using them already, but we haven't had any rain for 2 weeks, and my soil dries out quickly . However, next week's forecast is for more typical spring weather with rain, so I can shut everything down again.
Two pics from this evening.
Irises in my island bed.
Clematis 'Multi Blue'
