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Stormwater used for irrigation

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Jeff_McDowell:
A residential developer is asking to route stormwater into our irrigation pond. I'd like to say yes, but I'm not sure. Does anyone have any experience with using residential development stormwater runoff as a partial irrigation source?

The residential area draining to the pond is about 50 acres of single-family residential. There would be a sediment forebay and a skimmer structure prior to discharging into the irrigation pond.

Brian Phillips:
Jeff,

As long as the runoff is into ponds that are designed to clense the water then there shouldn't be a problem.  I can send you an essay I have just finished on the subject by e-mail.  The system here is called Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS).

There will be quite a bit of maintenance of these ponds as well as the cost of creating them.

I would not allow anyone to allow runoff from a resdential area directly into your ponds and I would be very surprised if any planning authorities would allow as it as well.

Here is the guidance book in a pdf format

www.sepa.org.uk/guidance/hei/pdf/ponds.pdf

If you need anymore advice get in touch with an golf course architect in your area to back you and help you design the ponds.  Just go straight to the SUDS chapter and print it off, it has all the info you need Jeff.

Brian

Don_Mahaffey:
Jeff,
At my course in Tucson we had an irrigation pond that captured the runoff from the adjacent housing development. It was a major pain in the a** when we got a big thunderstorm. I guess the engineers underestimated the power of the water because we had a lot of erosion and silt. Plus the pond was a murky mess for weeks after any large rain. If I'm the supt, I'm voting no unless extraordinary steps are taken to protect my pond.

Derek_L:
Jeff,

Under no circumstances should an irrigation pond take direct runoff without prior leaning.  I would recommend seperate upstream detention ponds that allow the sediment particles to settle out prior to discharge into the pond.  The are many ways you could partially treat the water prior to the irrigation pond.  Techniques such as rainwater gardens, infiltration basins, and other such devices as grit chambers.  If the water is not treated prior to discharge into the irrigation water many issues could arise; clogged and damaged heads, clogged and damaged pumps and stressed turf.  Jeff, are you familar with Mike Kelly's product, Netlon?  Give us call sometime.

Derek

Derek_L:
Jeff,

Also, in my opinion a forebay and skimmer structure would not be sufficient.  Unless the forebay is of a large size and quite deep, you won't get enough of the particles to settle out, especially when the water bounces high and the water is flushed right through the forebay.  Also, a skimmer structure is typically used to "skim" floatables and not sediment.  Another product on the market, which I have worked with is "Chitosan", it is a shell fish by product.  What it does is bonds to the sediment and sinks to the bottom of the pond.  I guess you need to think about what you want to do and what you can do.

Derek

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