1998年，欧文牧场水区（Irvine Ranch Water District）和南加州大都会水区（Metropolitan Water District of Southern California）建立了一项研究，以测试一种自动将实时蒸散量（ET）直接传送到家庭灌溉控制器的技术。其目标是在住宅用户中消除景观过度用水的现象。被测试的技术称为Weather TRAK，由加利福尼亚州佩塔卢马的网络服务公司制造。该技术是在对现有ET控制器技术进行审查后选择的，其依据是:设备/服务的价格；节水技术的可信度；并且，为客户和代理商使用该技术的方便性。ET控制器研究的主要发现是:对参与者来说，不必设置或更换控制器的便利性是#1； 试验场地的景观外观保持不变或有所改善；节约的水平均占景观用水的16%（在一般高效的住宅上）；85%的测试家庭的水费减少；调查表明，居民愿意为天气信号服务付费，因为这项技术总体上是积极的；试验房屋的径流似乎有所减少，这导致了第二次研究，专门测量了对减少径流的影响。

In 1998, the Irvine Ranch Water District and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California established a study to test a technology that automatically delivers real-time evapotranspiration (ET) directly to home irrigation controllers. The goal was to eliminate landscape over-water use among residential customers. The tested technology, called Weather TRAK is manufactured by Network Services in Petaluma, Ca. It was selected after a review of existing ET controller technologies based on: price for the unit/service; credibility of the water saving technology; and, ease and convenience of using the technology for the customer and the agency. The key findings of the ET Controller study were: convenience of never having to set or change controllers was #1 to participants; landscape appearance stayed the same or improved on test sites; water savings averaged 16% of landscape water (on generally efficient homes); 85% of the test homes saw a decrease in water bills; surveys indicated that residents would be willing to pay for the weather signal service because of the generally positive aspects of the technology; water run-off appeared to be reduced from test homes, leading to a 2nd study to specifically measure impacts on reducing water run-off.