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<br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br /> <br />Residential Secondary Water Meters - Research Proiect <br /> <br />7.0 IRRIGATION WATER QUALITY INVESTIGATION <br /> <br />Unfiltered irrigation water is dirty, which makes it difficult (if not impossible) to use <br />conventional drinking water meters to measure the volume of water used to irrigate residential <br />landscapes. Much of the pressurized irrigation water supply in this are", contains suspended <br />and dissolved solids and is laden with salts, alkali, and hardness chemicals that can erode and <br />build up on the internal mechanisms of standard drinking water meters. <br /> <br />The problem facing water meters in the secondary water industry has yet to be completely <br />defined. The concentrations and size of particles, along with the chemical and biological <br />makeup of secondary water in this area has not been quantified thoroughly. Without an <br />understanding of the characteristics of irrigation water, it is difficult to engineer a metering <br />system that will work efficiently in the given environment. <br /> <br />This task includes gathering existing water quality data and/ or testing water samples obtained <br />from supply sources. Once water quality of the water is known, we can find the reasons for <br />meter failure and can make predictions on how meters will perform. Water quality data can <br />also help control field tests. Because of the large number of irrigation water suppliers that may <br />not have water quality information available and the cost of conducting water analysis, water <br />quality data will only be obtained from areas where test meters might be installed. <br /> <br />7.1 Research Existing Water Quali1~y Data <br /> <br />7.1.1 Utah Department of Environment'll Quality Data <br /> <br />The Utah Department of Environmental Quality is currently conducting extensive water quality <br />testing on many water bodies throughout Utah, including rivers, lakes and aquifers. A <br />database, located on EP A's website contains water quality data for all the sampling stations and <br />can be used in this research study where secondary water might draw from a location near <br />these sampling sites. For example, sampling sites located along the Jordan River have been <br />analyzed for chemical, physical, and biological constituents. Since cities and water utilities use <br />water that originated from the Jordan River, much of this information would be useful. <br />However, it may be necessary to take new samples if the water quality changes between the <br />Jordan River and the turnout to the pressurized irrigation system. New samples may also be <br />required if the existing data does not s).lfficiently describe the constituents that adversely affect <br />meters. Additionally, water quality usually changes over the course of the irrigation season. <br />Secondary water sources contain more sediment in May and June, for example, due to spring <br />runoff from snowmelt than during the months of August and September. <br /> <br />7.1.2 Water Supply CompanylMunicipality Data <br /> <br />Any non-published data will be requested from irrigation districts and municipalities if it is <br />found to benefit the purposes of this study. The survey discussed in Section 6.0 is intended to <br />help find this information. <br /> <br />13 <br />