Summer is around the corner! But the thought of another hot, dusty yard due to weeds and brown spots does not sound appetizing. If, like many, you’re considering installing an irrigation system, remember to consider your wells’ capacity and water treatment system. Here are five things to consider when adding an irrigation system in order to preserve your water treatment system.
Maine’s homeowners on well water have to be particularly careful about how much water they pull from their well. Maine’s bedrock means that sometimes the grass you see on your lawn only has a few inches of soil for root growth. A few inches of soil before grass hits the ledge complicates the water capacity available for solid root growth. A shallow root system is often an easy target for dry, brown, dead grass patches.
Well strength
Let’s pretend that your well has an infinite amount of water, regardless of how much water is consumed by your home and irrigation system.
A well driller can often give you an idea of the well’s recovery. A well’s recovery is determined when it is first drilled by measuring how quickly the water flows back into the well when water is drawn from it. Another critical piece of information is the static level. The static level is how much water is in the well column when not in use. In addition to the recovery, the static level will tell us how much water we have available and how quickly we get it back. This information is vital and something your irrigation company should know before installing an irrigation system that your well may not be able to support.
For example, two wells with the same depth won’t necessarily have the same amount of water. One well drilled to 200? may have water up to within 10? of the ground level, while another well may only have water 100? below ground level.
Flow rate
When a Well driller puts in a new will, a minimum flow rate for a single-family home is calculated for inside use only. A well’s capacity typically does not include outside water demands when considering a well’s requirements. Therefore, if the well is not high-producing enough, it can be harmful to draw the water level down constantly.
Sediment density
Wells draw raw water from the groundwater supply found in your well. Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that minerals or sediment found in groundwater may stain walkways, fences, or damage the irrigation system components. For example, a well with heavy sediment may impair the sprinkler heads with a buildup of sediment and minerals. In addition, a well with heavy iron in the untreated water may stain the landscaping, the home, and walkways where water sprays. Typically, if minerals and sediment are high, the effects will be seen in the home, and a treatment system would be recommended and installed for the family’s water consumption. The question then becomes, can you hook your irrigation system to the same water treatment system used to treat domestic water? Sometimes, however, many variables will come into play, including your well’s flow rates and well’s static level before and after the irrigation system is online.
Gardens
Typically, water going onto the ground is not treated because our water treatment units measure gallons that run through the tanks and clean themselves according. Using treated water for outdoor use will diminish the water treatment system’s useful life. Therefore, we always put the irrigation feed before our units to preserve the specialized media for inside water use.
Wasted media and filters
Today, water treatment systems clean themselves based on how many gallons run through the media and clean themselves according. Using the treatment system for the irrigation will mean the system has to backwash more frequently to clean the media. The water treatment systems that are physically trapping minerals will need to run their cleaning cycle every few days. It’s crucial not to overload the water treatment system we have designed for your house with the irrigation system.
Irrigation systems and your water treatment system
Coordinating the irrigation system for your yard with your water treatment system is imperative. Ensuring your well’s water capacity, water quality, and well pump can be done with careful planning and timing when adding an irrigation system. Ideally, and most of the time, we do NOT want irrigation going through your water treatment system’s filters. Picture going through a car wash at 50 mph. The heavy high flow is too much for the filtration to handle, so we always put the irrigation feed before our units. FONTUS can tailor treatment systems to accommodate any scenario.
Working with FONTUS will ensure that the water treatment system you have for your domestic water is sized correctly. Sizing the water treatment system to handle the added demand of the irrigation system makes all the difference. In addition, we will work hand-in-hand with your irrigation company, so your lawn is as green as you want it.
HOW FONTUS CAN HELP
The FONTUS experts will provide a free immediate-response water test onsite for minerals. We can also correctly collect any state-certified samples needed for health-related contaminants. Then we send them to a state-certified Maine Lab for a TSFHA water test. The TSFHA Water Test will test for Coliform Bacteria & E. coli (pos/neg), Nitrate, Nitrite, Fluoride, Chloride, Hardness, Copper, Iron, pH, Manganese, Sodium, Uranium, Lead, Arsenic, and Magnesium in your water. This test is an additional charge determined by the lab and paid to the lab.
In short, taking control of your water supply is easy. Schedule your free immediate-response water test today. Call (207) 856-0066 or email info@fontush2o.com to speak with the water treatment specialists at FONTUS Water Treatment.
WHAT IS A FREE IMMEDIATE-RESPONSE WATER TEST?
An immediate-response water test is a test done onsite, getting your results immediately. This test allows us to determine if and what levels of iron, manganese, hardness, total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, salinity are present in your water. You’ll have all your questions answered by the end of our appointment. And most importantly, you’ll have a plan in hand to make sure your water is clean and pure.
In short, taking control of your water supply is easy. Schedule your free immediate-response water test today. Call (207) 856-0066 or email info@fontush2o.com to speak with the water treatment specialists at FONTUS Water Treatment.
YOU CAN TRUST FONTUS WATER TREATMENT TO STAY BY YOUR SIDE
At FONTUS, we’re passionate about water purity. We pride ourselves on being reliable, hassle-free, and always available. For example, as the environment and your water change, we’re here to help evaluate your water. Through testing, installation, and maintenance, you can trust FONTUS to ensure clean, pure water for your home or office.