Gravity Fed Water Lines

It was a tough weekend with lots of digging and burying of water pipes across the farm. This is the start of works to improve the watering system for our livestock so they can be grazed in every part of the property in a more highly controlled way that will encourage better grazing and trampling of the grass that in turn feeds the microbes in the soil and therefore an overall increase in fertility.

I located the highest point on the farm and decided we would put holding tanks there to contain the water.  Given that this is the highest point, we will be able to get water to every point of the property with gravity alone - A HUGE ADVANTAGE when it comes to animal grazing.  We have a very large dam at the bottom of the hill and we will pump the water up to the holding tanks.  Using some handy apps on my phone I was able to calculate the height of the tanks to the source of water - the pressure will be around 40 psi which essentially means we could even irrigate our pasture with this level of pressure; not the main aim of the operation, although a handy thing to keep up your sleeve when times get tough.

With my good mate John operating the trusty backhoe, we made a small level site for the tanks - I will be starting with 30,000 litres with room for another tank at a later stage if required.

It took a few hours to complete, but once finished it was very encouraging to see my plans on paper start to come alive.  With the site now cut, we dug a trench to the dam below.  This is where it got a bit tricky for me rolling the 2in pipe down the hill as the backhoe opened up a ditch for me.  100 meters of 2in poly pipe is VERY HEAVY to handle on your own and roll it downhill into a trench.

Once the pipe was rolled out the backhoe backfilled the trench and everything was complete for Phase 1.  The next part will be the installation of the water tanks and pump - the final phase will be the water lines across the farm.

Even at this early stage I always feel a great sense of achievement when working on infrastructure around the farm.  Its tangible, real, something you can touch and see and show people every time you pass it.

It's a good feeling.