This past weekend my wife and I were driving through an
extensive agricultural area of Oxnard, CA. This fertile region supports a
multitude of major growers of produce items such as strawberries, avocados,
watermelons, celery, lima beans, and even sod for domestic and commercial
applications. The area is a major contributor to the agricultural economy of
California.
As we passed what seemed to be miles of pipeline used for irrigation, I
observed a large leak in the housing of what appeared to be a main valve. Water
was gushing everywhere. I immediately thought, how long has that gone unnoticed,
and imagine what it will eventually cost the farmer and maybe me?
Old and poorly constructed pipelines, inadequate corrosion protection, poorly
maintained valves, and mechanical damage are some of the contributing factors to
leakage. An additional adverse effect, besides the obvious unacceptable loss
of water, is reduced pressure in the supply system. Consequently, raising
pressure to make up for such losses increases energy consumption resulting in
making leaks worse. An ineffective, costly waste.
The strong economic benefits of utilizing a leak detection system can be
significant and frankly, are absolutely necessary. Water efficiency and
conservation beginning with you and I through commercial applications cannot be
taken lightly. I did notate the location of that leak we saw in Oxnard and was
able to identify and contact the grower about the problem. They were thankful
for the call. Hopefully future excursions through the Oxnard agricultural
corridor will be a bit less stressful. Next time, perhaps we’ll remember to stop
for strawberries.
www.waterec.net