Joseph3d ago
Today I endeavored to pressurize my irrigation system at the backflow prevention valve after having drained the system for winter freezes several weeks ago. I tried three times and the valve leaked three times. Examining the cap, which I had removed and reinstalled during the winterization process, it occurred to me that an o-ring might be missing. Sure enough, when I searched for the backflow prevention valve online, I found that an o-ring was missing. I was unable to find the missing o-ring in my yard where I probably dropped it and was about to order a new one when I recalled my habit of saving old parts. I had replaced the backflow prevention valve several years ago, kept the good parts from the old one, and was surprised to easily find them including o-ring in my garage. I was able to use that saved o-ring and pressurize my irrigation system. This was one of only a few instances I’ve had of saving an old part and actually using it later. It made me laugh. Here ends my shaggy dog story. #DIY #Plumbing #Irrigation
BellingenNSW3d ago

The lower Murray is officially on life support
Irrigation and the signs of a slow death

"The lower Murray supports a wealth of native Australian fauna. But the development of weirs and barrages since the twentieth century to regulate the water level and divert water for irrigation have dramatically altered the flow of the river."

"This regulation has supported increased European settlement, trade, and agriculture along the river, setting the scene for the region as we know it today. Nowadays, inflow to the Lower Lakes is about half of what it once was prior to European settlement."

“However, river regulation has drastically altered the water flow and ecology of the lower Murray. The destruction of native vegetation, poor water quality and invasive species such as foxes and carp have also taken their toll. It is increasingly clear the lower Murray region is changing at a rapid rate, to a drier and warmer climate with less flow and more extreme droughts” >>
https://theconversation.com/the-lower-murray-is-officially-on-life-support-will-we-save-it-274969
#water #rivers #MDB #extractivism #irrigation #destruction #EuropeanSettlement #biodiversity #wildlife #wetland

The lower Murray is officially on life support. Will we save it?

The lower Murray, home to the beloved Coorong, is officially in its death throes. The only way to save it is community, research and more flowing water.

The Conversation
Hackaday3d ago

Converting AC Irrigation Valves To DC Operation

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/09/converting-ac-irrigation-valves-to-dc-operation/

133d ago
Converting AC Irrigation Valves To DC Operation https://hackaday.com/2026/02/09/converting-ac-irrigation-valves-to-dc-operation/
#Parts #12v #Irrigation #Solenoid #Solenoidvalve
Converting AC Irrigation Valves To DC Operation

Due to historical engineering decisions made many decades ago, a great many irrigation systems rely on solenoid valves that operate on 24 volts AC. This can be inconvenient if you’re trying t…

Hackaday
VictorFeb 4
Circular economy: water quality assessment for irrigation purposes in a constructed-wetland scenario. #circulareconomy #irrigation #water #wetlands https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-34161-6
Circular economy: water quality assessment for irrigation purposes in a constructed-wetland scenario - Scientific Reports

Water is an essential natural resource that sustains life and ecosystems. However, the increasing pressure on freshwater reserves due to climate change, rapid population growth, and industrialization is exacerbating the issue of water scarcity. In this context, wastewater reuse has emerged as a vital strategy to address water shortage. Also, it supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and aligns with the principles of the circular economy. In this context, phytoremediation appears to be a viable solution that employs plant species to purify water, thereby contributing to water reuse. So, this study focuses on evaluating the feasibility of using treated wastewater from a constructed wetland for irrigation purposes. The investigation involved establishing a comprehensive monitoring plan, including sampling and analytical processes, followed by in situ and laboratory analyses of the collected water samples. The results indicate that the treated wastewater met the quality standards set by National and European legislation for irrigation purposes. Some parameters, such as chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and turbidity, demonstrate high removal efficiencies, with maximum removal efficiencies exceeding 97%. The anions and potentially toxic elements showed very low values, being within the standards for water reuse for irrigation, except ammonium (NH4+), which did not comply with the standards in any of the campaigns. The SAR, with a value of less than 2, was below the maximum recommended value (MRV) of 8. Overall, the findings support the use of treated wastewater from constructed wetlands for irrigation, which offers an effective solution for water reuse and contributes to environmental sustainability.

Nature
VictorFeb 4
Circular economy: water quality assessment for irrigation purposes in a constructed-wetland scenario. #circulareconomy #irrigation #water #wetlands https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-34161-6
Circular economy: water quality assessment for irrigation purposes in a constructed-wetland scenario - Scientific Reports

Water is an essential natural resource that sustains life and ecosystems. However, the increasing pressure on freshwater reserves due to climate change, rapid population growth, and industrialization is exacerbating the issue of water scarcity. In this context, wastewater reuse has emerged as a vital strategy to address water shortage. Also, it supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and aligns with the principles of the circular economy. In this context, phytoremediation appears to be a viable solution that employs plant species to purify water, thereby contributing to water reuse. So, this study focuses on evaluating the feasibility of using treated wastewater from a constructed wetland for irrigation purposes. The investigation involved establishing a comprehensive monitoring plan, including sampling and analytical processes, followed by in situ and laboratory analyses of the collected water samples. The results indicate that the treated wastewater met the quality standards set by National and European legislation for irrigation purposes. Some parameters, such as chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and turbidity, demonstrate high removal efficiencies, with maximum removal efficiencies exceeding 97%. The anions and potentially toxic elements showed very low values, being within the standards for water reuse for irrigation, except ammonium (NH4+), which did not comply with the standards in any of the campaigns. The SAR, with a value of less than 2, was below the maximum recommended value (MRV) of 8. Overall, the findings support the use of treated wastewater from constructed wetlands for irrigation, which offers an effective solution for water reuse and contributes to environmental sustainability.

Nature
VictorFeb 4
Circular economy: water quality assessment for irrigation purposes in a constructed-wetland scenario. #circulareconomy #irrigation #water #wetlands https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-34161-6
Circular economy: water quality assessment for irrigation purposes in a constructed-wetland scenario - Scientific Reports

Water is an essential natural resource that sustains life and ecosystems. However, the increasing pressure on freshwater reserves due to climate change, rapid population growth, and industrialization is exacerbating the issue of water scarcity. In this context, wastewater reuse has emerged as a vital strategy to address water shortage. Also, it supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and aligns with the principles of the circular economy. In this context, phytoremediation appears to be a viable solution that employs plant species to purify water, thereby contributing to water reuse. So, this study focuses on evaluating the feasibility of using treated wastewater from a constructed wetland for irrigation purposes. The investigation involved establishing a comprehensive monitoring plan, including sampling and analytical processes, followed by in situ and laboratory analyses of the collected water samples. The results indicate that the treated wastewater met the quality standards set by National and European legislation for irrigation purposes. Some parameters, such as chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and turbidity, demonstrate high removal efficiencies, with maximum removal efficiencies exceeding 97%. The anions and potentially toxic elements showed very low values, being within the standards for water reuse for irrigation, except ammonium (NH4+), which did not comply with the standards in any of the campaigns. The SAR, with a value of less than 2, was below the maximum recommended value (MRV) of 8. Overall, the findings support the use of treated wastewater from constructed wetlands for irrigation, which offers an effective solution for water reuse and contributes to environmental sustainability.

Nature
Industry ExaminerFeb 2
Saving water can be cheaper than building it. One analysis found ag conservation at ~$69.89/acre-foot vs >$2,000 for new supply—so funders now want telemetry-backed proof, not just pipes. https://agtech.industryexaminer.com/pipes-to-proof-irrigation-funding-telemetry-efficiency/
#AgTech #WaterManagement #Irrigation #PrecisionAg #DroughtResilience #technews
From pipes to proof: why irrigation grants now demand hard data - Agtech Industry Examiner

In southern Idaho, an irrigation district installed four flow meters and discovered something awkward: a big gap between the water […]

AgTech Industry Examiner
💧🌏 Greg CocksJan 31
From Space To Field - Putting satellite insights into growers’ hands [OpenET]
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https://irrigationtoday.org/features/from-space-to-field/ <-- shared technical media article
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https://etdata.org/ <-- shared OpenET home page
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https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/openet-satellite-based-water-data-resource/ <-- shared NASA technical article
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https://youtu.be/Rbobf6aurLs?si=Q0kN9eiZH0gT8O5m <-- shared OpenET overview video
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#OpenET #openscience #opendata #publicgood #publicservice #nonprofit #fedscience #fedservice #evapotranspiration #ET #Landsat #OLI #OperationalLandImager #groundwater #water #hydrology #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #agriculture #USA #farming #waterresources #watermanagement #planning #watersecurity #satellite #remotesensing #earthobservation #model #modeling #irrigation #metrology #raster #cost #economics #efficiency #foodproduction #mobileapp #FARMS #view #download #usecase #reporting
#OpenET #USGS #USDA @NASA #USGS_EROS
GreenSupplyChain DIHJan 26
Frequent fluctuations in environmental and weather conditions are one of the challenges plum growers face🤔
Learn how Smart4Plums, one of @Farmtopia’s Open Call SIPs in Serbia introduces an AI-driven ADS that combines #soil sensor data, historical farm data and weather forecasts to predict #irrigation scheduling, integrating Farmtopia components such as the Digital Field Book and Data Integration Module for seamless farm management🚀
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/farmtopiaproject_farmtopia-open-call-sip-smart4plums-activity-7417190889321730048-zQhJ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAACcmbCYBCukF73CwAXB4AAJkSjFrBt8bVuY
Smart4Plums AI-Driven Irrigation System for Plum Farming | Farmtopia posted on the topic | LinkedIn

🍑 Smart4Plums - one of Farmtopia’s Open Call Sustainable Innovation Pilots in Serbia. Developed by Nissatech Innovation Centre and tested at poljoprivredno gazdinstvo Darko Burdžić, this SIP combines AI-driven irrigation planning with a novel unusuality detection system, enabling farmers to react to unexpected conditions. With micro-zone water predictions and Farmtopia components, Smart4Plums helps optimise water use, maintain fruit quality, and reduce operational costs. Here is more on how Smart4Plums supports plum farming 👉https://lnkd.in/gw-537wk #Farmtopia #HorizonEurope #ResearchInnovation #ResearchImpact #FarmtopiaSIPs #PlumsFarming #PlumFarming