ᐅ Garden Irrigation Well – Seeking Ideas for Improvement – Please Share Your Input
Created on: 18 Jun 2021 11:01
H
hampshire
We need quite a lot of water for our garden. There are a few minor issues with the current setup (using drinking water for the garden, wastewater charges, use of outdoor taps located before the water softener – a mix of poorly thought-out planning and careless behavior). So, we want to install a well.
With an elevation difference from the well depth (about -30m) to the top of the garden (+20m), the pump will have to be quite powerful. Therefore, I am considering filling a 5m³ (1320 gallons) water tank from the well and then using a second pump to supply the garden irrigation from this tank, which also collects rainwater from the carport roof. Conveniently, I could control the well pump to fill the cistern using electricity generated by the photovoltaic system and a float switch, so it runs only on self-generated power.
The water tank and additional pump are already planned anyway.
Who has experience with this?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of my ideas?
Are the cost estimates realistic?
Finding water and choosing the location – feasibility study: 150€
Drilling the hole including piping: 80€ per meter at 30m = around 2400€
Well pump with hose and tap: 1000€ including installation
5,000-liter (1320 gallons) water tank: 2000€ including delivery
Pump in the water tank with tap: 700€
Additional work done by ourselves, including material (pipes, hoses) and finishing: 350€
Total approx. 6600€ (I understand this won’t pay off economically quickly, given the annual savings of around 400-500€ on water and wastewater charges)
Thanks in advance for any ideas, criticism, or encouragement.
With an elevation difference from the well depth (about -30m) to the top of the garden (+20m), the pump will have to be quite powerful. Therefore, I am considering filling a 5m³ (1320 gallons) water tank from the well and then using a second pump to supply the garden irrigation from this tank, which also collects rainwater from the carport roof. Conveniently, I could control the well pump to fill the cistern using electricity generated by the photovoltaic system and a float switch, so it runs only on self-generated power.
The water tank and additional pump are already planned anyway.
Who has experience with this?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of my ideas?
Are the cost estimates realistic?
Finding water and choosing the location – feasibility study: 150€
Drilling the hole including piping: 80€ per meter at 30m = around 2400€
Well pump with hose and tap: 1000€ including installation
5,000-liter (1320 gallons) water tank: 2000€ including delivery
Pump in the water tank with tap: 700€
Additional work done by ourselves, including material (pipes, hoses) and finishing: 350€
Total approx. 6600€ (I understand this won’t pay off economically quickly, given the annual savings of around 400-500€ on water and wastewater charges)
Thanks in advance for any ideas, criticism, or encouragement.
With the sq 3-40, you only have a maximum delivery height of 55m (180 feet). This means that at the top of the hose, you will get just under 2 bar remaining pressure if you start from a 30m (98 feet) deep borehole. In the tank, you will also need a proper pump to overcome the 20m (66 feet) height difference. So from the maximum value shown on the nameplate, you lose another 2 bar there. Therefore, I would recommend buying a proper pump that can reach everywhere on your property.
H
hampshire18 Jun 2021 13:44driver55 schrieb:
Does that mean in liters or cubic meters?
100,000 liters or 100 cubic meters? I can't say for sure, as it depends on how much of the garden we plan to develop and what we want to do where. I think around 1500-2000 m² (16,000-22,000 sq ft) will be cultivated; the majority will remain wild and forested.
H
hampshire19 Jun 2021 00:17I’ve made some progress now. Combining it with a rainwater cistern doesn’t seem to be the best solution, so a strong pump and direct connection it is. With a bit of delay, the pressure issue finally makes sense to me. Now I’m having the well installer come over to see how deep it actually needs to be (so far this was just his estimate) and where the best location for everything would be.
Is it still reasonable to build a well at all?
Groundwater levels are dropping, and let’s say in 10 years you might not be allowed to water your garden anymore.
Nearby there is a small town where there is already a ban on lawn sprinklers and filling pools, restrictions on watering vegetable and ornamental gardens, and cisterns are not allowed to be refilled.
This indirectly means your well is taken out of use.
Groundwater levels are dropping, and let’s say in 10 years you might not be allowed to water your garden anymore.
Nearby there is a small town where there is already a ban on lawn sprinklers and filling pools, restrictions on watering vegetable and ornamental gardens, and cisterns are not allowed to be refilled.
This indirectly means your well is taken out of use.
H
hampshire19 Jun 2021 06:58haydee schrieb:
Is it still even reasonable to build a well?
Groundwater levels are dropping, and let’s say in 10 years you might no longer be allowed to water your garden. As @rick2018 writes – there is no local groundwater issue here, so there’s no hesitation with the building permit / planning permission.
No, it’s probably not “reasonable” from a financial point of view, you’re right. And if the authorities ever shut down my well, my life won’t get worse. So I don’t see that as a relevant risk.
Think of it as a combination of a man’s toy and a more relaxed feeling, since we’re increasingly cultivating land without using drinking water. Seen that way, the money is not badly spent.
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