Most homeowners set their irrigation controller when the system was installed — and have not opened the cover since. If the system seems to be running, there is little obvious reason to adjust it. But the controller is what determines whether your system is running on the right day, at the right time, for the right duration — and whether it is compliant with current SWFWMD water restriction requirements.

This guide covers the controls that actually matter: how to read your current program, how to update it for SWFWMD Phase III compliance, and what the settings mean in practical terms for your lawn.

The Controllers Goterra Works With

Goterra installs and services three primary controller platforms: Hunter X2, Hunter Pro-C, and Hunter Hydrawise. Here is a quick orientation to each.

Hunter X2

The Hunter X2 is a standard residential timer-based controller, typically mounted indoors. It uses a dial interface to navigate between Run Times, Start Times, Water Days, and other settings. Most X2 owners recognize the large central dial and the digital display.

Hunter Pro-C

The Pro-C is a modular controller designed for systems with more zones. It uses a similar dial interface to the X2 but supports up to 24 zones with modular expansion. Pro-C is common in homes with larger properties and systems installed in the mid-2000s through present.

Hunter Hydrawise (WiFi)

Hydrawise is Hunter’s WiFi-enabled smart controller, which Goterra installs as the default recommendation on new systems and recommended for controller upgrades. Hydrawise connects to your home WiFi and is managed through an app on your phone. It supports weather-based schedule adjustment, real-time zone monitoring, and alerts when the system detects anomalies.

Understanding Programs, Zones, and Start Times

Every irrigation controller organizes its schedule using three core concepts. Understanding them makes everything else make sense.

Programs (A, B, C)

Most residential controllers support multiple programs — typically labeled A, B, and C. Each program is an independent schedule that can have different active days, start times, and zone runtimes. Most residential systems only need one program. Using multiple programs for the same zones on overlapping days can cause zones to run multiple cycles, which is both wasteful and a potential Phase III violation.

Zones (Stations)

Each zone represents a set of heads connected to one valve. When a zone runs, the valve opens and all heads in that zone activate simultaneously. Zones are numbered and labeled in your controller — the labels correspond to the valve wiring in your valve box.

Start Times vs. Run Times

These are frequently confused. A start time is when the entire program begins running — for example, 5:00 AM. A run time is how long each individual zone runs during that program — for example, Zone 1 runs for 8 minutes, Zone 2 for 10 minutes, and so on. The controller runs each zone sequentially after the program start time.

Setting Your Controller for SWFWMD Phase III

Here is what Phase III compliance requires from your controller, and how to verify each setting.

Step 1: Verify and set your watering day

Find the “Water Days” or “Irrigation Days” setting on your controller. Under Phase III, only your one designated day (based on your address’s last digit) should be active. All other days must be turned off. If your controller shows more than one active day, you are running outside Phase III compliance.

Refer to the Goterra water restrictions guide to confirm your designated day.

Step 2: Verify your start times are within allowed windows

Polk County allows irrigation before 10am or after 4pm. Hillsborough County allows before 8am or after 6pm. Check every start time in your active program and confirm it falls within these windows. A single start time that lands during a restricted window makes the entire cycle a violation.

Step 3: Adjust runtimes for one-day-per-week schedule

If your system was programmed for a two-day-per-week schedule (Phase II), your per-session runtimes were designed to deliver half the weekly water requirement per day. On Phase III’s one-day schedule, you should not simply double the runtimes in a single cycle — this causes runoff. Instead, implement cycle-and-soak by adding a second start time on the same day.

Setting	What to Check	Phase III Requirement
Water Days	How many days are active?	One day only — your designated day
Start Times	What time does the program begin?	Before 10am (Polk) or before 8am (Hillsborough) — or after afternoon cutoff
Run Times	How long does each zone run?	Adjusted for one-day schedule — use cycle-and-soak if needed
Rain Sensor	Is the bypass switch engaged?	Sensor must be active (bypass OFF)
Active Programs	How many programs are running?	Only one program active unless zones are on different schedules for a specific reason

Using the Hydrawise App

If your system has a Hydrawise controller, management happens through the Hunter Hydrawise app rather than a physical dial. Here is what the key settings look like in the app:

• Weather Intelligence: Hydrawise can connect to local weather data and automatically skip irrigation when rainfall exceeds a threshold. This feature counts as a rain sensor for compliance purposes.
• Schedules: Tap your schedule to see active days and start times. Under Phase III, only your designated day should be checked.
• Run Times: Each zone’s duration is listed under the schedule. Adjust individually by zone based on coverage needs.
• Cycle and Soak: Hydrawise supports native cycle-and-soak programming under the zone settings — you set the desired total runtime and the maximum cycle time, and the app calculates the soak intervals automatically.

Goterra updates the controller programming at every service visit — verifying your watering day, start times, and run duration against current SWFWMD Phase III requirements. Find your permitted watering day here.

When the Controller Is Fine but the System Is Not

Controllers can display a perfectly programmed schedule while the physical system underperforms. If you have verified your programming is correct but still see dry spots or wet areas, the issue is in the field — heads, valves, pipes, or pressure — not the controller.

Goterra reviews and updates the controller at every service visit, but we also run every zone and observe the physical system response. A controller that shows Zone 3 running for 10 minutes is not the same as Zone 3 actually delivering 10 minutes of correct coverage. The only way to know is to run it and watch.thing.