Irrigation System Start-Up

Laurel Creek's irrigation system was installed in 1989, a full 30 years ago.  During the nine months of each year that the system is in service, we have 20 miles of piping that is constantly at 115 PSI.  The vast majority of this is gasketed bell-end pipe, which is held together by nothing more than the weight of the soil around it.

Given all of this, it's probably not surprising that when we do a system start-up each spring, we have our fingers crossed. Unfortunately, this year's start-up included a main leak on #9--that's the bad news.  However, the good news is that our winter purchase of main line repair fittings had us prepared for this, and as main line repairs go, this one wasn't bad at all.

In the photo below, it's not an employee napping on the job.  No, Selvin is cleaning out muck from around a main line gate valve, so the valve key will easily fit on the valve when needed.  When we have issues with any part of the irrigation system in-season, it's a real bummer when you can't isolate a section, and have to shut down one of the pump stations.

If the current weather pattern continues, we might not have much need for the irrigation system again this year.  Of course, we'd rather have it operating well, and not need it, than to find ourselves scrambling to make repairs when some hot, dry weather does shows up.