This is an illustration for a water irrigation drip system, for when you want to use water from dishes, grey water, etc.
Why use a water reservoir?
- Ecological reasons – you want to save water or recycle, and water your plants with the use of grey water: from the tub, from your dishes, rain, etc.
- Practical reasons – You don’t have a water line near, so the reservoir acts as a water supply
- Safety – You don’t want to use automatic water clocks connected to relatively high pressure lines, because these can sometimes fail and flood.
- You are going on a holiday and want to close your main water pipe just in case, but your plants still need irrigation.
How does it work?
Very simple: you’ll need a big reservoir (mine is 150 liters), a submersible water pump, pipes, and irrigation drip emitters. You must place at least one drip emitter higher than the reservoir’s water level (see diagram). Otherwise, once the water starts flowing and the lower end is below the source, gravity will keep it flowing even when the pump is off.
In this setup (see diagram), water flows from a reservoir through an electric pump, supplying all emitters at the same time. Since different plants need different amounts of water, you can use 0.5 L/h emitter for delicate plants, and 1 L/h for thirstier ones. Emitters start from 0.5 L/h, and can go up to several litters per hour.
Some of the parts you’ll need:
Parts numbered above:
- Irrigation line – the thin tubing that carries water to each plant.
- Punch tool – used to make holes in the main water line (not shown here).
- Drip emitters – two types that connect to part 1:
- Black emitter: has a screw-like thread, easier to remove and replace.
- Yellow emitter: push-in type, also works well, but harder to *replace.
- Connector – this piece connects part 1 (irrigation line) to the main water line.
* Drip emitters can clog over time if they capture small particles, causing them to stop watering and require replacement. I advise to install a fine water filter in the irrigation line between the pump and the first drip emitter. This will help extend the life of the drip emitters and reduce maintenance.
Irrigation system water pump specs
How Long Will a 150-Liter Water Reservoir Last for 15 Plants?
A 150 liter water tank will last about 14 days if you water 15 plants twice a day for 20 minutes each time. Each plant gets about one-third of a liter of water each time, so all the plants use around 10 liters a day. This means the tank will run out after about two weeks.