IRRIGATION WELLS & WATER PUMPING SYSTEM
Drilled Water wells are a great source of water for irrigation purposes. In terms of well design; they do not differentiate much from their Drilled residential counterpart. When Designing an Irrigation water well system it’s important to take into consideration the design of the actual irrigation system. If you are currently working with a design specialist for the system then it’s important to find out what the flow requirements are for the system. Typically they will be able to tell you the flow in terms of GPM (gallons per minute). If the system is already in place not to worry, if you are able to provide the number of zones and the heads per zone our specialists can calculate the rest for you. Typically in terms of residential application 10 – 15 GPM is usually recommended. Larger scale properties may require a higher GPM.. Having as much information regarding the irrigation system itself prior to calling our office insures us in being able to give you the most accurate information possible.
Irrigation wells are able to run even if a high water flow is not achieved. The following explains how low yielding wells can be used for irrigation applications. In an irrigation well that has a low flow rate such as; two or three GPM, the depth of the well comes into play. A well itself is a reservoir that typically stores water at 1.5 gallons per foot. In this example we have a well that is 550 feet deep, and has a production rate of 2.5 GPM. This type of system, depending on the area to be covered, is somewhat complex to set up. 2.5 GPM is not sufficient enough to create the water flow needed to drive a sprinkler zone, more water will be necessary, and you will have to rely on the reservoir in the well to support the system. An accurate flow test is a crucial element; in deciding the time frame in which the system is able to operate. In such cases, you would not be able to water indefinitely. If the system is set up for 6 GPM, we are relying on being able to use 400′ of the reservoir or in other words 600 gallons of water, plus the added 250 gallons produced in the first 100 minutes. This leaves us with roughly 850 gallons of water to play with for an estimated run time of 141 minutes. Bear in mind that the longer the well is run, the longer the recovery time will be. If four hours is needed to water your lawn properly, some figuring would be necessary to make the system function to its potential.
The pumping system is designed based off of the final depth and flow (taking into accordance the desired pressure (psi) and flow needed for the system). Most irrigation contractors today require/ recommend using a Variable frequency drive constant pressure system as it evens the pressure out making your irrigation system work at optimal performance. If you would like to learn further information regarding irrigation wells or our commercial irrigation well applications and options call and speak with one of our specialists or email us at info@wellguy.com.
