By Patrick Gordon – Consultant
Before a homeowner can decide who must design their system, they first have to decide what type of system they require.
So, you need to design an irrigation system for a client. The first step in design is to work out exactly what kind of system is needed.
There are a few different types of systems:
- The basic system that you can buy at most retail outlets that stock gardening and irrigation systems. This type of system can be laid out on the ground and connected to the garden tap. The system is one upgrade from using a simple hosepipe.
- The next system is connected to a rainwater tank and pressurised with a pump from the tank supply.
- You could opt to supplement the water in the tank with a connection from the reticulation of the house.
- Lastly you could have the system connected directly to the household’s domestic potable water supply.
Each of these will require a different level of expertise. For the first one, even a handy homeowner could manage to do the layout by themselves – so a plumber will have no difficulty. Some more complex systems may require the guidance from our friend Google or a professional landscape designer. The items required for the installation of the system are freely available from local distributers.
Once the plan calls for the collection of rainwater the scenario becomes a bit more complicated as many of the municipalities require the homeowner to apply for a special permit to collect rainwater. Rainwater is viewed as public property and should have free flow to stormwater systems. That having been said, the major focus right now is on how to secure enough potable water for one’s own use. It has not been outlawed for homeowners to collect rainwater from your own roofs, but just advise your residential clients to be aware that there are some criteria that need to be heeded.
Basic irrigation system. © Plumbing Africa
If you the plumber are not a qualified rainwater harvesting specialist, you may need to contact one to help you design the client’s system. The health of their family is going to be at risk if it is not done correctly.
As soon as the backup water is permanently connected to the municipal potable water, a qualified plumber is required to do the installation as it now becomes part of your client’s home reticulation system. There are fixed regulations as to specialised equipment that must be used as soon as there is any chance of backflow into the potable system.
Whatever the need is in connection with an irrigation system, plumbers must make sure that they use good quality materials that are going to last your client a lifetime and is going to achieve the results that are required from the system.
For any further information on this topic please contact the writer:
PA Gordon on patrickg@splashworks.co.za
