How do you accurately measure irrigation water without drying up your profits?
24 December 2013
If there is one thing we all can agree on it is this: nothing is getting cheaper.
Even water costs more these days. In days past, water was thought of as practically free. It fell from the sky and was delivered clean to our homes and businesses for pennies a month. Farmers relied on the rain falling from the sky to irrigate their crops, and when this was not enough, it flowed from nearby rivers, streams, and channels to make up the difference.
As populations grew, the demand for irrigation water increased, while existing supplies decreased. This prompted the need to control and meter water distribution, assuring resources were properly allocated. The next question was — how do you measure irrigation flow accurately and reliably out in a field, where there is little to no power available to run measurement devices? Ultimately, the cost of this operation must be affordable as farming profits are already tight. So, what is the answer?
Continuous preservation of this valuable commodity requires an option that is versatile, realistic and portable. A battery-operated, in-line electromagnetic flow meter (Mag Meter) is quickly becoming one of the preferred means of water measurement for crop irrigation.
Where irrigation systems are used in the production of crops, it is essential that the delivery of water is accurately measured and monitored. The accuracy of an electromagnetic flow meter ensures water waste is kept to a minimum and farmers’ crops get the proper amount of irrigation with a minimum of hassle. With no moving parts, mag meters are not prone to wear nor have performance degradation over time. The potential for flooding means that IP68/NEMA 6P enclosure enabling installation and underground installation is optimal. A perfect solution would include easy installation with minimal inlet and outlet requirements. All of these attributes make an electromagnetic flow meter like Siemens MAG 8000i water meter that is perfect for those demanding conditions in our farmers’ fields.
Water is necessary to sustain life, yet in so many parts of the world, it is becoming increasingly scarce. As stricter legislation is enacted to preserve this vital resource for future generations, the irrigation industry faces a formidable challenge: more carefully managing water consumption and waste prevention while still remaining profitable. As a knowledgeable partner in process instrumentation, Siemens understands the needs of today‘s irrigation industry.