OBJECTIVE: TO IMPROVE THE IRRIGATION EFFICIENCY OF THE ACTUAL MICRO THE ECHO CENTER RUTEMBERG PARK. Microirrigation area to be improved

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1 OBJECTIVE: TO IMPROVE THE IRRIGATION EFFICIENCY OF THE ACTUAL MICRO IRRIGATIONSYSTEM LOCATED AROUND THE SOUTHERNCORNER OF THE ECHO CENTER RUTEMBERG PARK. Microirrigation area to be improved

2 RESULTS OF THE AREA ASSESEMENT (CONDITIONS OF THE ACTUAL IRRIGATION CONVEYANCE AND DELIVERY SYSTEM. CONDITIONS OF THE PLANTS AS OF APRIL MAY OF 2012) Micro sprays on standing piipes A LOT OF DEAD PLANTS

3 THIS IS WHAT A GREAT PART OF THE AREA LOOKS LIKE NOW A partial look at the southeast wall Looking to the SE from SE wall.

4 MOST OF THE PLANTS ARE WILTED. THEY LOOK SAD, DRY OR JUST DIED. CHANCES ARE IRRIGATION WAS NOT THERE WHEN THE PLANTS NEED IT MOST. View along path along SE facing wall. This cedar is very dry. Looks like its going to die

5 THE ACTUAL IRRIGATION SYSTEM DOES NOT IRRIGATE EFFICIENTLY. THE SPRAY PATTERN OF ALL THE RAISED SPRAY HEADS DOES NOT COVER ALL THE PLANTS. IT ALLOWS FOR EVAPORATION AND WORST OF ALL. IT HAS BREAKS AND POOR SPRAY PERFORMANCE. Look at this break. Seems like there is nomaintenanceplan It was installed with 27 microsprays on risers. More for show than for irrigation efficiency. Look at the poor spray pattern performance. A slight breeze can send the spray off target. Broken ¼ line Micro sprays do not spray, they squirt.

6 TO IRRIGATE EFFICIENTLY. THE WATER MUST REACH THE TARGETED PLANTS. WE MUST ELIMINATE THE MICROSPRAYS ON RISERS AND CHANGE TO DRIP IRRIGATION AVOID THE FINE MIST ON TOP OF THE MULCH BECAUSE SOME OF IT EVAPORATES BEFORE EVEN REACHING THE SOIL. IRRIGATE UNDER THE MULCH AND UNDER THE PLANT DRIP LINE This drip area has a This drip area has a radius of about 3 4 inches

7 TARGET WHICH PLANTS TO IRRIGATE. ESTABLISHED PLANTS OF THIS AREA THAT LOOK GOOD, SUCH AS SABAL PALMS, ICACO PLUM & PALMETTO, SHOULD NOT BE IRRIGATED. INSTALL NEW PLANTS ON JUNE OR JULY SO THEY GET ESTABLISHED WITH RAIN WATER. I PLANTED THIS ICACO PLUM HEDGE 5 YEARS AGO WITH 3 GAL. PLANTS I USED RAIN WATER ONLY. IT HAS NO IRRIGATION. THE ICACOS LOOK HEALTHY. LOOK AT THIS ICACO PLANTS IN RUTEMBERG. THEY LOOK GOOD AND WERE BARELY IRRIGATED BY THE ACTUAL MICROSPRAYS.

8 STARTING WITH THE PUMP, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO IRRIGATE WITH? THE PUMP IS A 12 V DC MOTOR THAT TURNS A 5 GPM (OR 300GPH) AT A PRESSURE OF 60 PSI. THE PUMP CAN USE ALL THE ACTUAL STORED RAIN WATER (467 G) IN ABOUT 1.5 HR. THE ACTUAL RAIN HARVEST STORAGE CAPACITY IS GOOD FOR lessthan WEEK. The water capacity should increased to 25 weeks of water use THE ACTUAL PUMP (300 gph) SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE DESIRED IRRIGATION SYSTEM FOR THIS AREA. DC electric motor powered PUMP PUMP MOTOR CLOSE UP. As per our electrical engineer, Ron Stewart the 100 amp hour batteries could run this pump (0.144 amp hour/hour) for 695 hours w/o recharge.

9 THE ACTUAL SYSTEM HAS 27 MICROSPRAYS ON RISERS, WHICH WERE SPREADED TOO THIN TO TRY TO COVER ABOUT 100 PLANTS (EXCLUDING THE SABAL PALMS). THIS WILL BE CHANGED TO A UNDER THE MULCH DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM CAPABLE OF IRRIGATING UP TO 150 PLANTS. WE WANT TO IRRIGATE 2 GAL. OF WATER PER PLANT. IF WE HAVE UP TO 150 PLANTS TO IRRIGATE, WE NEED 300 GAL. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. This is according to the UF. But if we irrigate 2 gal. to a 4 in circle, it is like getting a 4.6 inch rain in that spot. In theory, that is a 50 inch water penetration. WE KNOW OUR PUMP CAN IRRIGATE 300 GPH. SO IN 1 HOUR WE WILL ACCOMPLISH OUR GOAL TO PUT 2 GAL. OF WATER ON THE TARGETED PLANTS. we can decide to irrigate 2 gallons of water pp twice per week, if the plants are being established (This will consume 600 gal per week). Once established, we can reduce the irrigation to 2 gallons pp once a week (this will reduce the dry season demand to 300 gal per week). Finally, the irrigation of FFL plants could be reduced even more.

10 Assuming a maximum need of 600 gallons per week for 6 months of dry season, the total amount that would need to be stored would be of : (600 gal/w) X (6 month) X (4 w/month)= 14,400 gal. A ¼ section of the roof can catch about 60, gal. of water per year. So the this fraction of the roof can supply enough water. Storage is the bottleneck, Not the rain catching capacity. A 10,000 gal. may seem enough to provide water for this system So Putting 34 three hundred gallon Totes around the building may do the work but may not look pretty. Some ingenuity and artistic imagination must be used. Ask Sherry Anderson. She has some very good ideas. Underground storage is more expensive but it is inconspicuous

11 Costs (materials in $ and labor in man hrs). Retrofit with drip irrigation and perform a system check once a month. Costs: two options. Option A, custome drip line: (1/2 funny pipe and plug in 1 gph drippers to ¼ line). Pressuregages gages, fittings, pressure reducers, filters. Labor (including making custom holes according to plant plan) 35 man hours. Materials cost: $ 700. Man hours in $ (use $ 25/hr if needed). Option B, pre set drip line: Use 17 mm drip line (with 1gph emitters every 2 ft). f) Will have to plug where no water needed. Pressure gages, fittings, i pressure reducers, filters. Labor ( including additional time to plug unwanted emitters) about 24 man hours. Materials cost: $ 500.

12 Must Have a regular Maintenance Schedule. hdl A written monthly report must be produced. It should include the following: A Timer check (start time, running time, days it will irrigate, timer date, timer hour. A Wet check ( walk the zone to see if there is an irrigation issue. (check emitter performance, pressure gages and filters). Have thewater tested (ph, electro conductivity, hardness, debris, etc.) at least once a year. It will provide a lot of valuable information. Limit the access to the timer, pump and storage area. Someone may sabotage the system (including the possibility of someone putting herbicides on the water (landscaping and irrigation vandalism). This will require about 12 to 15 man hours of labor per year.