How to Fix Sand in an Irrigation Well

Irrigation wells are an excellent alternative to the labor-intensive practice of hand-watering your plants and ideal for large-scale gardening and farming operations. But to take full advantage of these wells, you must perform regular maintenance to ensure that the irrigation system stays in good working order. Sand trapped in the irrigation well is one of the leading causes of an irrigation well losing its effectiveness.

Instructions

1. Install a screen with a filter pack at the bottom of the irrigation well. Most irrigation wells have these filters installed when they are built, but if the filter was never installed, sand could easily make its way into the irrigation system and clog it. Install this filter if your irrigation well does not have one.

2. Replace the screen. The older a screen is and the more water that passes through it, the more likely it is to become damaged or to widen openings in the filter. Replace the filter if it is so damaged that sand is being let into the irrigation system.

3. Clean the irrigation well using the airlift pump method, whereby compressed air is injected into the well water to dislodge built up sand and sediment. The more sediment that is built up around the sand screen, the more likely is the sand screen to let sand in. Periodically cleaning the irrigation well using this method can prevent sand from infiltrating in the system and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your irrigation well in general.

References

• North Dakota State University Extension: Care and Maintenance of Irrigation Wells
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Water Wells for Florida Irrigation Systems
• University of Minnesota Extension: Driving a Wellpoint