Farm water systems

Irrigation, tanks, bores and stock water — designed properly

Every farm water job comes down to the same few questions: where the water comes from, where it has to go, how much you need, and what power you have. We work those out and design the system around them.

Irrigation design

An irrigation system is only as good as the pressure at the last sprinkler.

We lay out the system block by block, work out how much water each block needs and when, and size the pump and mainline so every outlet runs at the pressure it was designed for. That covers drip and micro-sprinkler for orchards and vines, sprinkler and travelling irrigators for pasture, centre pivots and laterals, and flood or furrow from a channel.

Where the property has more than one water source, we look at which one to use when, and whether a variable-speed pump would let one pump do the job of two.

What the design covers

Water demand by block and crop
Mainline and submain sizing, with friction worked out
Pump selection, motor and power supply
Filtration for drip systems
Zone valves and controller layout
Running cost per megalitre

Water tanks and automatic tank filling

A tank that fills itself is one less job every day.

Most properties have at least one tank that someone has to remember to fill. We design the system so the pump starts when the level drops and stops when it is full — using float switches, pressure switches or a level sensor, depending on how far the tank is from the pump and what power is available.

We size the tank for how many days of storage you want, and the pump for how quickly it needs to refill. Where the tank is a long way off or up a rise, we work out whether a direct line, a radio link or a simple timer is the most reliable way to control it.

What the design covers

Tank size for the storage you need
Pump sized to refill in the time available
Float, pressure or level-sensor control
Remote tank control by cable, radio or timer
Overflow, low-level and dry-run protection
Header tanks for gravity supply to troughs and houses

Bore and stock water

Stock water has to work in the worst week of the year, not the average one.

We size bore pumps against the real bore — its depth, standing water level, drawdown and yield — so the pump does not run the bore dry or burn itself out. From there we design the line to troughs or tanks for the number of stock you carry and the peak summer demand.

For house and shed supply, we design pressure systems that hold steady pressure without the pump cycling on and off every time a tap opens.

What the design covers

Bore pump sizing from depth, drawdown and yield
Stock water demand for your herd or flock
Trough supply and pipe sizing
House and shed pressure systems
Water quality and filtration advice
Backup supply for when the bore pump is down

Solar water pumping

Where mains power is a long way off, the sun is often the cheapest supply there is.

Solar pumping works best when the system is designed around it: the pump runs while the sun is up, and the tank carries you through the night and through cloudy days. We size the panels, the pump and the storage together, so the system delivers enough water in a poor week, not just a good one.

What the design covers

Daily water demand and storage days
Pump and controller selection
Panel array sizing for your location
Tank sizing to cover low-sun periods
Hybrid systems with a generator or mains backup

Dam, creek and river pumping

Moving water between storages is simple until the suction is long and the lift is high.

We design transfer systems from dams, creeks and rivers to tanks, troughs and irrigation — including the suction side, which is where most surface-water pumps get into trouble. Floating intakes, foot valves and self-priming pumps all have their place, and we pick the one that suits the site.

What the design covers

Suction design and priming
Intake screening for debris and fish
Lift and long-distance transfer
Fire-fighting supply from farm storages
Effluent and manure handling for dairies and piggeries

What we need from you

Not much to start. Tell us where the water comes from, roughly how far and how high it has to go, and what you want it to do — water a block, fill a tank, supply a mob of cattle. If you have a bore log, a property map or the details of an existing pump, send those too.

We will come back with how we would approach it and what it is likely to involve. If it makes sense, we design it in full: pump, pipe, tank, power and controls, with the running cost worked out so there are no surprises on the power bill.

Already know your flow and pressure? Try the pump finder.

Send us the details

No obligation — we reply within two business days.