CONSUMPTION PATTERN OF WATER RESOURCES:

The growth in population and the expansion of economic activities have led to increasing
demand of water for diverse purposes. The main man use however is for irrigation which
account for nearly 91 percent of the water use and for drinking. Water which claims bulk of
the remaining supplies. Agriculture-irrigation combine has been the traditional maximum
user of w by domestic consumption needs of the people in both urban and rural areas. During
the last 4 decades, industries, recreation-tourism union, sewerage needs in urban areas have
started their respective claims with thrust and pull of resource fullness. Thus till recent times,
while irrigation and drinking needs have accounted for nearly 99 percent of the total available
water in the state of which nearly 70 percent came from surface water sources and the
remaining 30 percent from ground water area.

Types of Irrigation Systems:

Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing of
crops. Some types of irrigation systems include:

• Surface Irrigation

• Sprinkn

• Drip Irrigation

• Centre Pivot Irrigation

• Manual Irrigation - using buckets or watering cans

Surface Irrigation: In surface irrigation, water moves over and across the land by simple
gravity flow in order to wet and infiltrate the soil. Surface irrigation can be divided into
furrow, border strip or basin irrigation. It is often called flood irrigation when it results in
flooding or near flood of the cultivated land.

Sprinkler Irrigation:
Sprinkler irrigation is another popular method, which pipes a set amount of water to the
fields, and then sprays this directly over the crops with high pressure sprinklers. The amount
of water can be closely controlled, which is a huge benefit.

Drip Irrigation:

Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation, functions as its name suggests. Water is
delivered at or near the root zone of plants, drop by drop. This method can be the most water-
efficient method of irrigation, if managed properly, since evaporation and runoff are
minimized. In modern agriculture, drip irrigation is often combined with plastic mulch,
further reducing evaporation, and is also a means of delivery of fertilizer. The process is
known as fustigation.

Centre-Pivot Irrigation:

Centre-pivot irrigation involves a self-propelled system in which a single pipeline supported

by a row of mobile towers is suspended 2 to 4 meters above ground. Water is pumped into the
central pipe and as the towers rotate slowly around the pivot point, a large circular area is
irrigated. Sprinkler nozzles mounted on or suspended from the pipeline distribute water under
pressure as the pipeline rotates. The nozzles are graduated small to large so that the faster
moving outer circle receives the same amount of water as the slower moving ones on the
inside.

Water management:

 Take steps to mitigate impacts on ecosystem. This may include integrated pest
management, low water fertilisers but also if the farming area is located in or near a
site of ecological importance.
 Ensure that infrastructure for the delivery of water adequately maintained (inter-basin
transfers may pose a greater risk than intra-basin transfers).
 Assess the maximum levels of water extraction above which the underlying
ecosystem would get overexploited.
 Ensure the adequacy of resource protection related to aquatic protection.
 Many farms have unused wells. Pollutants that enter these wells move quickly and
without filtration to groundwater. Abandoned wells are sealed by removing pumps,
piping and debris, and filling the hole with a slurry of cement or bentonite chips.
  A WMP should be set up to plan efficient water use on farm and at the same time to
preserve the volume and quality of water reserves and courses. The water
management plan should:
 identify where water is being used and how water use can be minimised
 minimise all identified sources of pollution, and risks of pollution to the water
resources
 include actions to mitigate the environmental impact of water use
 consider leakage detection, collection, re-use of water and irrigation scheduling
assess of the farmer water-dependency on supply from another region, the expected
decline in water availability within the farm’s area of operation
 include the level of water stress in the farming area
 assess the security of sustainable water availability in quantitative and qualitative
terms at river basin
 aim to optimise crop yield, while conserving the quantity and quality of water
resources
 Give consideration to optimise water usage and reduce water waste, e.g. irrigating at
night, maintenance to reduce leakage, storage of winter storm water, collection of
rainwater from glasshouse roofs, etc
 Set emergency response plans in case an emergency of spillage happens.
 Implement the mentioned plans gradually over time, from the most important to the
least important sources of pollution and risks of pollution.
 Revise and monitor the WMP and the irrigation plan on a regular basis.

Drainage Methods:

A drainage system may consist of surface drainage, subsurface drainage, or some

combination of both. The kind of system you need depends in part on the ability of the soil to
transmit water. The selection of a drainage system ultimately should be based on economics.
Surface drainage, for example, would be most appropriate where soils are impermeable and
would require too many subsurface drains to be economically feasible.

Surface Drainage A surface drainage system is most appropriate on flat land with slow
infiltration and low permeability and on soils with restrictive layers close to the surface. This
type of system removes excess water from the soil surface through improved natural
channels, human-made ditches, and shaping of the land surface. A properly planned system
eliminates ponding, prevents prolonged saturation, and accelerates the flow of water to an
outlet without permitting siltation or soil erosion. A surface drainage system consists of a
farm main, field laterals, and field drains. The farm main is the outlet serving the entire farm.
Where soil erosion is a problem, a surface drain or waterway covered with vegetation may
serve as the farm main. Field laterals are the principal ditches that drain adjacent fields or
areas on the farm. The laterals receive water from field drains, or sometimes from the surface
of the field, and carry it to the farm main. Field drains are shallow, graded channels (with
relatively flat side slopes) that collect water within a field. A surface drainage system
sometimes includes diversions and interceptor drains. Diversions, usually located at the bases
of hills, are channels constructed across the slope of the land to intercept surface runoff and
prevent it from overflowing bottomlands. These channels simplify and reduce the cost of
drainage for bottomlands. Interceptor drains collect subsurface flow before it resurfaces.
These channels may also collect and remove surface water. They are used on long slopes that
have grades of 1% or more and on shallow, permeable soils overlying relatively impermeable
subsoils. The locations and depths of these drains are determined from soil borings and the
topography of the land.
The parallel system is suitable for flat, poorly drained soils with many shallow depressions.
In a field that is cultivated up and down a slope, parallel ditches can be arranged to break the
field into shorter lengths. The excess water thus erodes less soil because it flows over a
smaller part of the field before reaching a ditch. The side slopes of the parallel ditches should
be flat enough to permit farm equipment to cross them. The spacing of the parallel ditches
will vary according to the slope of the land. For either the random or parallel systems to be
fully effective, minor depressions and irregularities in the soil surface must be eliminated
through land grading or smoothing.
The Basic Green Roof:

A green roof is a green space created by adding layers of plants on top of a traditional roofing
system. The layers of a contemporary green roof system, from the top down, include:

 The plants, often specially selected for particular applications,

 An integrated irrigation system and controls
 An engineered growing medium, which generally will not include soil,
 A landscape or filter cloth to contain the roots and the growing medium, while
allowing for water penetration,
 A specialized drainage layer, sometimes with built-in water reservoirs,
 The waterproofing/roofing membrane, with an integral root repellent, and
 The roof structure, with traditional insulation either above or below.

Design Considerations:

There are several important design and structural differences between ground level landscape
development and rooftop developments. The following are the special construction
requirements and considerations when developing a roof garden:

 Protection of the integrity of the roof and structure

 Positive drainage
 A long-term, lightweight planting medium
 Irrigation for optimum plant growth and sustainability
 Adaptation to the climatic conditions
 Selection of hardscape materials (paving, structural materials, site furnishings and
water as a design element) and their special use and requirements as part of a roof
garden system
 Provisions for utilities
 Public safety and security
 Ease of maintenance
Protection of the Roof and Structure:

The single most important element in rooftop garden construction is protecting the integrity
of the roof and the structural components under the garden. For this reason there must be
waterproofing of exceptional longevity to prevent damage and to reduce the possibility of
long term expensive reconstruction. For this reason it is recommended a completely new
waterproofing layer be added to the existing structure to insure the longevity and integrity of
the waterproofing system.

Waterproofing:

As mention before, a completely new waterproofing system should be installed to protect the
building’s structure. There are several types of waterproofing available, however, elastomeric
materials offer the greatest protection. Bituminous waterproofing should be avoided. Over
time the organic components in bituminous waterproofing interact with the soils and the plant
materials and therefore increase the likelihood of system failure. A properly installed
waterproofing system can last the lifetime of the building, however a single small leak may
require the removal of the entire garden to find and repair the damage. Therefore, in order to
insure the integrity of the waterproofing it is recommended a protective topping coat of
concrete be applied, as soon as possible, following the installation of the new waterproofing.

Planting Provisions:

Like the roof on which the garden is to be built, a roof garden is constructed in layers. Just as
failure in the roof components can cause significant damage to the building, so too can failure
of the planting components causes significant and costly damage. Therefore, it is imperative
to take care in choosing and installing materials of the highest quality and species conductive
to a rooftop’s environment.

The Roof Drains :

The existing roof drains are appropriate for use within the roof garden. Some minor
modifications may be required to accommodate the new waterproofing and topping slab.
Nevertheless, the four roof drains and their size are adequate to support the garden’s needs.
Special care should be taken and accommodations made to allow access to those roof drains
should there ever be the need to access them for cleaning.

The Drainage Layer :

The drainage layer, directly above the concrete protective slab, should be very porous to
permit water to pass easily through it. It must be permanent and continuous over the entire
roof surface and strong enough to support the weight of the plant materials and hardscape
above it. This layer must be kept free of any materials that could prevent the free flow of
water to the drains. Because of its lightweight and integrated filter fabric, McCaren Designs
recommends the use of Enkadrain for this drainage layer. Further, its .75 inch thickness
allows for more planting media in areas next to paved areas.
Filter Fabric :

To prevent the planting media from going into solution and being lost in or clogging the
drainage layer and roof drains, a water-permeable barrier of filter fabric is needed. As
mentioned previously we recommend Enkadrain because the filter fabric is integral with the
drainage course.

Irrigation :

The relatively thin, well-drained soil mixtures used in roof garden construction cannot
provide the plantings with the subsurface water normally available to ground level plantings.
Care must be exercised to prevent the soil mass from drying out and causing damage to the
plant materials. Hand watering is too labor intensive and is not cost effective. Therefore, we
recommend the installation of a sensor controlled drip irrigation system. Drip irrigation is
preferred in roof garden applications because the effects of wind can cause above ground
systems to perform inconsistently.

Provisions for Utilities

Electrical

Standard 110-120 Volt ac electrical supply is sufficient for most roof garden uses, such as
lighting, appliances, fountains and irrigation controllers. All electrical requirements should be
met in accordance with the electrical engineer’s recommendations.

Water

A supply of clean water is needed for irrigation, pools and fountains and the cleaning of
paved surfaces and furniture. Water pressure of the irrigation system should be provided from
a minimum of 35 psi to a maximum of 70 psi.

Storage

Provisions should be made for the storage of gardening materials and supplies. This storage
should be water tight and readily available to the horticultural staff caring for the garden.
Additionally this area can function as the location of controllers and electrical panels for the
garden.