Meras Water Solutions’ Garett Dana gives tips and indicators on how your irrigation system may be suffering from poor distribution uniformity and what that could look like out in the field.
• Check Risers
o Risers can build up biological material and even fertilizer. When you pull apart the riser, inspect the riser screen and inside the actual tubing for any build up. Even before dismantling the riser, Garett is able to tell the water quality is suffering in the irrigation system due to the staining from iron on the line. As shown in the video, when taken apart build up of iron and fertilizer is found in the riser. Inside the riser is an inline emitter. Many people opt to take out the inline emitters in the risers, Garett recommends to keep them in because they help filter out larger debris.
• Inspect Irrigation Lines
o If irrigation lines are left untreated, the lines can entirely clog with precipitate. As shown in the video, this specific line is clogged with calcium. Clogged lines can prevent the emitter from operating efficiently.
• Check Filters on Sand Media Tanks
o Another great way to see if there is biological material in your water is to check the filters on sand media tanks. In the video, Garett pours the water on the outside of the container where you can then see tiny fragments of iron. When taking a closer look by opening the tank, the sand inside is colored with iron red. Checking the filters on the sand media tanks can help determine potential plugging hazards.
