At Catching H2O we focus on rainwater and greywater for irrigation and other uses to save on potable water usage for our clients. We also sometimes find projects with other water sources such as groundwater in various forms. We recently had the opportunity to work with an Artesian well at a horse ranch. The water was being used to flood irrigate a lawn area and the owner wanted to collect the well water and use it for the horses for drinking and wash down as well as for irrigation to a landscaped area to make better use of the water.
Our solution for this client was to install a 2,500 gallon water storage tank — sufficient for a couple days usage, with collection into an in ground sump. The sump pump transfers the water to the storage tank and in turn the stored water feeds an external booster pump which has a built-in pressure switch. The pump output line feeds several hose bibs for the horses and also connects to irrigation. Note that the well provides a consistent flow rate of 2 GPM so with the tank storage the client can also switch the well water to the lawn area where it originally was directed.
The system is regulated by two float switches — one to ensure that the storage tank doesn’t overflow, and the other to protect the booster pump from running dry if the storage tank is empty. We also included flow meters for the client to keep track of water production and usage.
With this system, the well water can be used to take care of about 20 horses (washing and drinking water) and for irrigation of a landscaped area.