NACAA

DESIGNING A BASIC PVC HOME GARDEN DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Abstract:

The average household in Utah uses approximately 650 gallons of water a day. Urban landscape irrigation accounts for 50-75 percent of the annual municipal water use. Due to drought cycles and rapid population growth experienced by the Intermountain West, water conservation is an important issue that affects all state residents. One effective way to conserve water is by utilizing drip irrigation. Drip irrigation is a method of applying slow, steady, and precise amounts of water and nutrients to specific areas of trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetable garden plants, and other outdoor plants. Designing a drip irrigation system can be accomplished a number of different ways. People must judge for themselves the kind of system that works best for their situation. Water costs, water availability, product and installation costs and maintenance skill level requirements are all factors to be considered when deciding which system to use. A simple, user friendly and effective system was designed by Juab County gardeners. The system uses PVC pipe and manual control valves. In different studies held during the test year, home owners noticed the following: water savings – 75%; time watering saved - 90%; time weeding saved – 90%. The participants also observed that the plants were healthier and produced at a higher level.