Water Pressure Management In Agriculture

By Brad Clarke, Singer Valve Inc.

Irrigation systems world wide are dependent on sound pressure management techniques which are normally incorporated at the design phase of the project. This holds true whether you are designing agricultural irrigation systems incorporating drip, micro spray, sprinkler or pivot systems and has similar ramifications for turf irrigation or even golf course irrigation systems. In order for any irrigation system to adequately and uniformly distribute this precious resource to the intended crop, the water must be distributed within the suggested performance range of the irrigation manufacturer.

In the case of drip or micro irrigation it is vitally important to not over pressure these devices as they are built to respond to very low pressures and over pressure can result in damage to the emitters or spray units or the low pressure piping system. Having reliable low pressure is extremely important. Often on very large drip or spray systems, you will have higher pressures near your water source (often a pump) and will have lower pressures at the extremities of the system due to pressure loss in the piping system. Controlling the higher pressure close to the source is an important consideration when designing the system.