Alright, I had a call into the city, who just took a message and hasn't gotten back to me yet, so I zoomed in on another photo I had and was able to pull enough of the name of the install company off of the control box to give them a call....
And the winner is.............
It is the space for the Back Flow Preventer. The irrigation company removed it last October when they were there to blow out the lines. They also happen to have stored it at their site since the current home owners don't live there and the house is currently vacant.
They are required by city law to re-certify the BFP every spring, so I get to look forward to a yearly $50 bill for that to be done, but they will also reinstall it "for free" and then be there to check everything out to make sure that all of the sprinkler heads are working, etc... I was told that 1-2 heads will be damaged about every year as well, so there is more $$$. Then of course there is the annual fall BFP removal and blowing out of the lines. I have no idea how much that costs...
Maybe my $10 sprinkler and hose wasn't so bad after all....
(nah, I am sure that I will like having it, but I had no idea of the maintenance part of it).
