Pumping water from a shallow spring/stream to troughs

onrail

We have a small spring/stream running through the milking block that we used to let the cows drink straight from until the new regs came in this year. It'd be a handy job now if we could pump the water some way to a few troughs, but it's too shallow for pumping as it is.

I was thinking that we could look at constructing some sort of precast concrete basin for collecting a depth of water where the spring is and pumping with a solar pump, but no mention of anything like it on the internet as far as I can see. Anyone hear of anything like what I'm thinking?

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058313021/pumping-water-from-a-shallow-spring-stream-to-troughs

Could you set up a ram pump to pump to a storage reservoir?

morphy87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058313021/pumping-water-from-a-shallow-spring-stream-to-troughs

There’s a crowd in north Tipperary that sell these solar pumps

could you not make a dam to help store water for your system

emaherx

Here is one of my DIY pumping stations, it pumps from a shallow stream, as long as the water is deep enough to submerge a hose with filter on the end it will fill the drinker. I plan on building a better version over the winter where the IBC will be elevated more and a secure box underneath for battery and fence unit with a 3 point hitch or euro bracket for moving.

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121091248#Comment_121091248

I remember some of the older folk once saying that putting a dam in was illegal, but to dig a hole was ok.

An option for the op maybe to put in 2 big precast pipe on their ends as a reservoir

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121091565#Comment_121091565

Would you be worried about the weight and water above the electronics. Another and potentially cheaper option. Is put it all on a trailer. A cheap chassis or a 10x6. Frame it out and sheet it. Leaves the option for having a 2nd IBC and storage of reels and pigtails etc.

Putting a bit of and 18inch pipe in the stream might help create a reserve when it's pumping

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121091664#Comment_121091664

No not really, it will be a welded steel frame not like this plywood monstrosity. (which has lasted better than I expected). The electronics are all weather proof except a €10 charge controller.

Yea, I've considered a trailer and even used one in the past, but I won't need a second IBC, one is plenty for the amount of cattle the block of land will have but could be an idea for someone who needs to scale up. The current setup is on a steel pallet that we made with a bit of RSJ so can be carried on a bale lifter.

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058313021/pumping-water-from-a-shallow-spring-stream-to-troughs

A 'basin' will silt up. Your best solution would be to fill into a header tank and then send to troughs under pressure - gravity alone will not be sufficient for a herd of cattle.

emaherx

- gravity alone will not be sufficient for a herd of cattle.

I know one farm locally using gravity alone from a pair of ram pumps for all of it's cattle drinkers across about 100 Acres.

Having enough head height, using the correct low pressure valves and large enough drinkers you can use gravity alone.

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121092869#Comment_121092869

Not enough for us. Of course it all depends height, pipe diameter etc, but in hot weather like this, you can't beat a pressurised system.

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121093325#Comment_121093325

With gravity you need either big pipe size or big troughs. I prefer big pipe and smaller troughs to keep water fresher.

onrail

Aye, gravity won't be an option, I'll definitely need a pump. Without sufficient head in the spring, how would I go about filling into a tank?

funkey_monkey

Can you somehow create a mini waterfall? We have piped part of a small stream to drive over and the exit from the pipe had a bit of height in it. Over time the water coming out has created a small pool that would be ideal to locate a pipe for filling the header tank.

During the wet weather when there is a strong flow it keeps the pool clean and well sized. We had dug in a pipe on end but it silted and stoned up and is no longer used.

Are you intending to move this around to follow the cattle or will it be static and pipework to all troughs?

Have you priced a water connection yet just to compare with whatever scheme you come up with?

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121094858#Comment_121094858

Any gravity system suggested was after the water was pumped to a tank/reservoir with at a height above any drinkers. You'll definitly need at least one pump. What you need depends on how shallow this stream is, how many cows and how many drinkers you need to fill.

https://youtu.be/FOEb96zJLEY

Here is mine working, hose is just lying in the water with a filter on the end, once water is deep enough to cover end of hose it will pump. This keeps 20 cows with calves going but can easily be adapted to cover more or even to supply water pressurized to a network of drinkers.

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121093325#Comment_121093325

The farm I mentioned has no mains electricity at all and has been using ram pumps well over a century, they have a spring at the top of a big hill which is piped with cast iron pipes down to 2 cast iron ram pumps then pumped to a small water tower in the middle of the yard and from there piped out to the land, they have created a decent head height for the water to be fair. I believe the farm was once part of a bigger estate and the pumps supplied all of it including houses in the area. The current owners bought the land with the pumps stopped and neglected but restored them.

There is a fair thud from their pumps as all the cast iron amplifies the sound.

But I agree a pressurised system makes sense if needing to move the water any distance without needing to build a water tower. Gravity works just fine if supplying a drinker near the source.

K.G.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058313021/pumping-water-from-a-shallow-spring-stream-to-troughs

Is the source on your property.if so sink a couple concrete rings down into it and you have your well.drop a submersible dc pump into itwith solar panels and away you go,just provide a suitable header tank at some point in the line.dropping a solar pump into a spring on the opposite end of the farm has been a game changer for us

endainoz

What about one of those pasture pumps? Not the cheapest but they look a great job for a stream like that.

funkey_monkey

Have one here sitting ready to install. Seem like a decent thing for a small herd - not tried it yet but would think that the slowness of use would be a disadvantage. Plus sheep can't use it.

endainoz

I also just realised they can be used in TAMS 3 so it might be an incentive for others.

onrail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121096002#Comment_121096002

Think that could be the simple solution I'd go for. Suppose if it's only a couple of manhole rings, maintenance mightn't be too hard if it silts up.

I've a hape of stupid questions though. I gather the submursible pump fills the header tank and then the tank in turn is pumped to the drinkers? What 'trips' either pump to get them going?

K.G.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121098625#Comment_121098625

The pumps during the day and the tank keeps the system going during n8ght /wet days.the tank should be high enough to fill the troughs by gravity but not so high as to resrict the amount of water solar can pump