What’s the best cheapest method of metering water at farm level?

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Dear friends, I am Ruby and I have a query about the water meters. Last season we had a drought in our area and so we have decided to monitor and manage the water supply at farm level and at domestic level efficiently. Local government officers have installed some water meter at domestic level. But I am interested in knowing how the water at farm level can be metered? What’s the best cheapest method of metering water at farm level? Is there any cheap device which can be used for monitoring discharge from bore well?

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17 Answers

  2. V-notch weir could be the best flow metering technique in the farming communities who can not afford Hi-tech solutions.

  3. v notches are the best solutions.

  4. I have also visited this meter based successes in water charges recovery along with their best technology factors. But , i am sorry to say that those lessons are not fruitful in devloping countries like you and us. As much advancement in recovery by meters is there, here more advancement has been seen in misuse/ tempering of those meters towards manipulation of consumption to lesser figures. I questioned about local devices and to over come the problems of tempering the meters then they showed enablity as in their view they can't even think such dirty practices to minimize the meter measured consumption which is dishonesty at all and does not appear there. They also were astonished that rulers have this practice int their factories along with tempo to protect also ex-rulers because in next tennuare they are to protect them. We therefore have to invent techniques how to prevent temporing of the meters , only then we can go on metering.

  7. simple flow measuring devices

    Ruby - it depends somewhat on the flow and how your distribution system is set up, but a v-notch weir or parshall flume can be installed in an open channel distribution system and is the easiest and cheapest way to measure flow.  There is a helpful guide to their use available here: http://waterrights.utah.gov/distinfo/measurement_devices.pdf

    If you need to measure flow in an enclosed pipe there are a few methods that are simple and inexpensive, but require some knowledge of hydraulics to implement correctly.  If you google the terms "flow measurement", "manometer", and "orifice plate" you should  be able to come up with some resources to help guide you.

    Good luck

  8. Rubina, the 90° V-notch weir flow (inclined outwardly at 45°) in open channels is ideally suited for accurate measurement of flow of water in the range of 150 to 1500 cubic meters per hour. Dr MP Sukumaran Nair

  9. Hi Rubina, Please check this website: http://www.rsa-electronics.com/Solutions.html We have good solutions on metering, monitoring and management of groundwater which are practiced widely at farm level. For more information you may contact the following email address: sfdolatabadi@rsa-electronics.co

  10. Hi Rubina, Please check this website: http://www.rsa-electronics.com/Solutions.html We have good solutions on metering, monitoring and management of groundwater which are practiced widely at farm level. For more information you may contact the following email address: sfdolatabadi@rsa-electronics.co

  11. Dear Rubina, I prefer to look at this issue from a slightly different perspective, one that is more holistic for metering water usually means it needs to be rationed. In order to properly answer your question one needs requirements - as some of the esteemed commentators have stated before. With this information you can look at the many solutions available for metering water. I on the other hand prefer to work with an open solution that can accommodate any meter and can be integrated with weather monitoring, power usage and communication so that large areas can benefit from its deployment - the result is also reduced cost per farmer, better metrics and added benefits such as alerts to wastage. Those keen can also incorporate said systems with GIS etc to enable additional protection to the farmer and environment - we currently are doing this for growth patterns and warning of invasive species while adding layers showing attempts to correct or improve situations. The same system can incorporate green energy systems and real time reporting to help optimize the use of this valuable resource. We also use sophisticated systems to dramatically reduce the amount of water needed to grow intense amounts and are planning for an experimental location that would target rice production. Simple metering systems can also be used that are basically free but they lack accuracy. The other area for opportunity is recycling of water and the reduction of fertilizer though processes that reduce water use and build soil. All the best.

  12. Rubina, I have a system of which I am trying to demonstrate the basic principle. If successful, then there may be a way to desalinate sea water and move it inland. Myself, I am concerned about a possible food shortage facing the United States in about 50 years. After all, aquifers do need to be replenished or else they will go dry. It's an unseen drought.

  13. Best and Cheapest Method.

    Dear Rubina,

    So you have finally arrived at this question. This is not a question in fact this is a situation. During my 14 years of work with the farming and water supply people,I have seen alot of conflicts which in spite of terminating , give way to new problems. We had tried all means including commercial meters, but beieve me all fail.

    However, one solution worked very well. This is the involvement of farmer organisation bodies and rationing the water at the distributory. The users are further allocated time and flow based water ration according to their region and payment of water tax. It worked good.

    regards

  14. You have 2 simple ways to do it. First one is like Paul advised and another 1 is measuring water consumption through hydrometers which are equipments with an internal wheel.It is not expensive and I believe you have it available at your country.

  15. Metering agricultural use

    Hi Ruby - the answer to your question depends on the area, number of farms, type of agriculture (arable, non-arable) as well as your relationship with the farmers i.e. is there trust and sense of working together to address the drought problem. 

    If you have not too many farms and they use consistent and predictable amounts of water then you could estimate use based on historical records. For example cattle will typically consume 40 gallons per day if there is no other water or grass available. The cheapest way to meter would be to discuss use with farmers and build up a demand pattern. You could sense check this with your historical supply records. Irrigation again could be estimated from flows and times used. 

    If the farming area is fed from specific mains you could use a clamp on electromagnetic meter to check flows into an area and you need not do this all the time. If you had a few pits or chambers you could move a portable device around. 

    If you have many farms with mixed use then a combination of estimating and measurement would allow you to build up a coarse model of the network with demands at different snapshot times. This need not be sophisticated and a spreadsheet would do the job. 

    You could similarly have a clamp on e-m meter for major farm feeds that you could use to check flows and these need not be in permanent or constant use so one device could serve many farms.

     I hope this is of help? 

  16. Water metering for irrigation, can be by a V-notch flume and level gauge or a wheel-based meter (such as Dethridge), but these may not be extremely accurate. For simple an dchpea methods that do not require a pipe, such methods would be most suitable, where very accurate measurements are acceptable

  17. Rubina, I am working on development project of some cheap water meters particularly for farmers. We haven't yet bring device in market as we are still calibrating and examining them. But please be in contact I will definitely be of some help to you. My mail id is debukaul@gmail.com Also read some literature which may help you understanding water meters and the principal behind it, http://www.horizons.govt.nz/assets/publications/managing-our-environment/publications-consents/HRC-Watermeter-Brochure-12pg-FIN.pdf