Lawn Irrigation Water Damaging Trees and Shrubs?

[oosik]

I've had my well water do this to my lawn. Very hot weather - watering during mid-day actually burned the grass.

Solution - water at night.

If you are also drinking this water. Don't delay getting it analyzed.

 

[npalen]

The submersible pump in the well has no foot valve, (check valve) so every time it shuts off there is a siphoning action that draws water that is still in the system pipes back down into the well. This also sucks any sediment that the filter has collected back down into the well.
This is strictly an irrigation well not drinking water.

 

[npalen]

I've had my well water do this to my lawn. Very hot weather - watering during mid-day actually burned the grass.

Solution - water at night.

If you are also drinking this water. Don't delay getting it analyzed.

I've typically watered during the day as, prior to just recently adding the solenoid valves and controller, it was a manual system with a valve for each zone. I'm now watering during the night to prevent the burning you describe.
Then there are those that say not to water during the night as it increases fungus activity due to the wet turf.

 

[ning]

The submersible pump in the well has no foot valve, (check valve) so every time it shuts off there is a siphoning action that draws water that is still in the system pipes back down into the well. This also sucks any sediment that the filter has collected back down into the well.
This is strictly an irrigation well not drinking water.

My well has a check valve early in the system - that would be an easy thing to do and I'm surprised yours doesn't have one.

If the filtered sediment is really getting sucked back into the well, I'd expect the well to fill up with sediment sooner than later since you're effectively not pumping it out. However, I doubt it's what's killing your tree; what's killing it is more likely something that doesn't get filtered by your present system.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I've typically watered during the day as, prior to just recently adding the solenoid valves and controller, it was a manual system with a valve for each zone. I'm now watering during the night to prevent the burning you describe.
Then there are those that say not to water during the night as it increases fungus activity due to the wet turf.

You dont really water 'at night' so much as very early morning just prior to the sun coming up. Start watering so it's finished about 15-30mins before sunrise.

And you really should have a check valve. Mine is just before the pressure tanks on a deep well, though I have seen them mounted on the outlet side of the pump itself in the well. Shallow wells have a 'foot valve' in the well or a check valve on the suction side of the pump, depending on what type of well it is (driven or drilled). Either way, I add one.

 

[npalen]

My watering cycle takes 14 hours start to finish and runs every other day. So start late afternoon and finish early next morning. My goal is an inch of moisture per week and that's how much time it takes to get the one inch on areas that aren't overlapped. I've checked with a rain gauge a few times and it takes about 12 hours to put down an inch of moisture on the areas with the large full circle heads.
Nozzle size and pressure, of course, make a lot of difference.

 

[Midniteoyl]

My watering cycle takes 14 hours start to finish and runs every other day. So start late afternoon and finish early next morning. My goal is an inch of moisture per week and that's how much time it takes to get the one inch on areas that aren't overlapped. I've checked with a rain gauge a few times and it takes about 12 hours to put down an inch of moisture on the areas with the large full circle heads.
Nozzle size and pressure, of course, make a lot of difference.

That's a lot of time.

 

[TractorGuy]

That tree looks like one I sprayed wasp and hornet killer in to kill a hornets nest one time.

You should NEVER allow water to back flow into the ground water. You need to install a back flow preventer.

 

[npalen]

That tree looks like one I sprayed wasp and hornet killer in to kill a hornets nest one time.

You should NEVER allow water to back flow into the ground water. You need to install a back flow preventer.

I think the reason a foot valve was not installed was to prevent pipe freezing during the winter. The pump outlet, as you can see in the picture, is above grade and it would be difficult to get the water out of the pipe if there was a foot valve.
I did ask the installer about a foot valve and he said that very few irrigation wells use them. I do understand, however, the benefit of the foot valve and I know that a back flow preventer is mandatory if using city water.

Edit: That being said, my well does now have a check valve of sorts. The zone valves shut off at the same time as the pump so only the water between the pump and the valves drains back. That is a distance of a couple feet in this case.

 

[Diggin It]

I think you're vastly overwatering and drowning some of the roots. I can't imagine what running a well pump over 200 hours a month is doing to your electric bill.

For starters, I'd suggest to cutting back to once a week instead of 3-4 times a week.


Looks like average rainfall for that area is about half of your goal of 4"/mo. I'm thinking the plants just can't take it all in.