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help designing my irrigation system

squashblossom12

9 years ago

Hello, quick introduction, My name is Ed and I have been watching this forum for a few months. After years of farming for someone else I have just purchased my own farm and looking to get things up and running so I can make a run at it. I have a 5 year plan to be a full time farmer and leave my construction job so taking things slow.

Here is my question I am going to run a drip system for about 1/2 acre of vegetables, but my well that I have water rights on is over 600 yards away. I get about 20 gpm with good pressure, but I'm worried about the distance I have to run the mainline. I have a 1 1/2 inch pipe coming out of the well and was thinking about running 1'' pvc to the garden. Would I need addition pump inline to help or would this work ok. There would be 4 garden zones that would be about 30' wide and 50' long.

Any thoughts? Thanks and looking forward to being an active member of the forum

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Comments (9)

jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
9 years ago
Ed, welcome!

I am not sure what to say to you. 600 yards is long ways, over 1/3 of a mile. You will need high pressure at a pressure tank for sure. I would suggest that you contact an irrigation specialist and ask them directly. They would have much better answers for your specific questions.

After you get your water to your gardens spots, you will need to reduce that pressure to about 10 psi or less to not burst your drip tape.

Jay
squashblossom12
Original Author
9 years ago
did I say yards, my bad. 600 feet
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Oh I forgot to tell you that I broke one of the small pipes when I tried to remove this part. I was lucky that my neighbor (mechanic) helped me out for free to fix it for less than $10 by using 3/4" CPVC Thread Slip x Slip Coupling Fitting and JB Well. If these auto-drain parts break again, I will block those two pipe holes permanently. I don't mind to pay the cost of these two auto-drain parts; but I don't want to pay high water bill when they break down. Another thing after the fix, I noticed that the water came out from each sprinkler head stronger than before. Again thank you for your help.
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randy41_1
9 years ago
i would just test it out and see what you get. drip doesn't take much volume or pressure to work. is the land flat?
squashblossom12
Original Author
9 years ago
Yes it is very flat
jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
9 years ago
It is over 500 feet from my well to the end of the furthest line of drip tape. I have 3/4 inch poly pipe buried in the ground to transport water to all the different locations. Mine all runs down hill.

My best guess is you will be fine doing what you said.
jnjfarm_gw
9 years ago
A thought, Add a tank of say 2000 gal and draw off of it with a separate pump. this could be kept full from the well pump running 24/7.
kelise_m
9 years ago
I don't think you are going to have any pressure issues at all with that set-up.
squashblossom12
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the help.
seedsoffaithfarm
9 years ago
600 feet is nothing, 20 gpm is good flow. We have a well that was put in for automatic animal watering troughs that runs at 5 gpm that we dont have an issue with (yet!). The 1" mainline should suffice, as you will lose pressure due to friction in a smaller diameter. Run the PVC to the garden, then connect to 1/2" poly tubing or layflat for a submain and run your drip tape off of that. They sell pressure gauges that you can attach to the end of your lines to check your pressure. I would definitely go that route before buying a pump. You will need to regulate the pressure downward when going from the PVC -> submain line. Props on working towards becoming a full time farmer. I started last year and I am broke as a joke but wouldn't trade it for any job with a boss or a timecard!

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