Summer is in full swing. The days are hot and dry, wild fires are burning all around. With all of this heat and fire danger we could use some more water at the Love Creek Center for Permaculture, both for fire protection and for watering the gardens. Currently we use a well as a source for our water needs. We also have a pond on the lowest section of the property that is used for recreation and can also be used for fire protection. However the gardens on the property are above the pond and would require a pump system to bring back up the hill. What can we do?
There is a solution to our increased water need that is quite simple. Using technology that goes back to the late 1700’s and a spring that feeds the pond we have the potential to put water high on the hill above our site. The technology is called a hydraulic ram pump. The beauty of it is that it uses no electricity whatsoever; it runs off of the energy of moving water. There are only two moving parts on the pump, a waste valve and a check valve so it is very reliable and easy to maintain.
The head that is created from the source above travels through the drive pipe (1) to the ram pump. The column of water free flows (2) through the waste valve (4) until it creates enough friction to close the waste valve (2) and sends water up the delivery pipe (3) as the check valve (5) opens up. This upward force is concentrated in a compressor (6) as air and water. The resulting pressure is able to push a column of water up the delivery pipe (3) to the desired destination until the column of water slows and reverses, closing the check valve (5). The waste valve opens up and the process starts all over. A more detailed description can be found at wikepedia.
This is a perfect installation to reduce the energy needs of our site.
Our neighbor has a well that has rusted a bit. Because of his rusty well he can no longer drink the water so he fills up jugs at our house. When he uses the well water for domestic use it leaves behind a rust stain. This offers a perfect situation for a collaborative project between two neighbors. We want to put a tank on our neighbor’s property. He will be able to pump water from the tank to his house, which are at the same elevation. Solving his problem of rusty water and rust stains in his sinks and shower. We will be able to use the water in the gardens on site and other uses that will emerge after the project is completed.
Currently we already have the ram pump in place and working. It feeds a fountain far above the source of the spring right now. When the power goes out in the winter we are able to hook the pump up to the main plumbing on site and have pressurized water when we have no power to run the well pump. We ran a hose up to the site of the tank and were able to get about ¼ gallon/ minute. This equates to 360 gallons a day. Not particularly large but enough for our needs. What do we need to do to finish the project? We need to dig a ditch that continues the delivery pipe to the site of the tank; two pipes will be installed in the ditch one feeding the tank and one coming from the tank to feed the irrigation system. And finally we need to purchase a 1500-2000 gallon tank and install it. Once finished our neighbor will need to connect it to his plumbing and I will begin figuring out the different forms of irrigation I will use with it. Gravity fed drip systems will be connected for perennial beds and I will experiment with flood irrigation on contour in the market garden. I’m assuming that we will have enough pressure to run overhead sprinklers as well.
In the end we will reduce the energy needs of the site as we reduce the use of the well pump. We will also be taking some stress off of the aquifer by using surface water instead. Our neighbor will have good fresh drinking water from his tap. And we will have finished a collaborative project, strengthening ties with our neighbor. Also helping to inspire others with springs or creeks to set up their own ram pump system.