A: This is something we started doing about 20-23 years ago, somewhere around there. We found that a lot of these neighborhoods had detention lakes that were also used as vanity lakes, decorative with fountains and whatnot.
We were thinking, why use a large municipal pump to crank up and use the well water from the ground to irrigate all the common areas? Why don’t we put smaller pumps in there, using less power and reclaiming that water that’s running off the streets, to go into the common areas and everything else for the residential development?
That did really well for us. We would put those submersible pumps in there and constant pressure valves and it would work real well. Then, we’ve had a lot of situations where we have a wet well. That’s a pipe going vertical and then “Ls” down into the lake—we call it a flume.
We’ll put that in there—that’s usually for large volumes of water or higher pressure that we can’t obtain with a submersible or that would make a submersible too big to service.
You can also use an above-ground pump, say a centrifugal or a self-priming pump on the side for smaller use, lower volume applications. But those are typically reserved for single residential use or one small area for someone in the country.
While it’s hard to get accurate numbers, it’s a known fact that the Houston area has an abundance of waterfront residential developments. Whether it’s standalone lakeside properties or fully developed gated communities it’s a hot commodity.
These types of communities aren’t evenly spread out across the country. Houston, with its vast wealth from oil and energy, has more waterfront properties than most of the country.
What Does This Have To Do With A Lake Water Pump?
We’re taking the long way to our point but it all makes sense and is quite relevant to lake irrigation. One of the most common features these developments have is their own lake or lakefront properties. Communities such as Summerwood on Lake Houston and Towne Lake with its own private lake are growing at a rapid pace.
However, these lakes serve as more than a status symbol, recreational purposes, or eye candy—they’re vital for irrigation. All lakes but one in Texas are man-made, including Lake Livingston, Lake Conroe, and Sheldon lake. So, these bodies of water are designed, engineered, and created to serve multiple purposes. One of those purposes is during high levels of rainfall, feeding detention basins.
In addition to traditional lakes, many of these neighborhoods also employ these detention basins in their master design. A detention basin is primarily meant for flood control. It’s designed to be empty for the most part so that it can catch rain and storm runoff and mitigate flooding when the lake level rises.
The added benefit of this design is that when the water level is high, it can be used for irrigation as well. Some detention basins are also designed to always have some water in them as well though not filled to capacity.
The idea is to make the most use of water, a natural resource rather than allowing runoff and rain to go unused to its full potential.
Serving Multiple Purposes By Design
Here in Houston, when it rains, it tends to pour down. However, there can also be long periods with no rain and extreme heat. To keep these community landscapes lush and green, distributed water is needed to supplement rain. These detention basins provide a sustainable source of water for lake irrigation during dry spells.
For example, it’s not out of the ordinary for us to get 3-4 days of torrential downpours during hurricane season. With detention basins, rather than that water running off and overloading the sewers, it’s captured. Sure, some is lost to evaporation, that’s expected, but now you have a reservoir that can be tapped into with a lake water pump.
Using submersible pumps to distribute water from the basins to common areas and residents is ideal vs. wasting it. To make these lakefront developments feasible and sustainable, the detention basins need to serve as support.
Pumping For Irrigation
While a well-designed and maintained lake has great appeal for a master-planned community, the detention basin is the utilitarian of the two. It keeps the landscaping looking fresh through irrigation which requires a lake water pump.
Lake Water Pump FAQ
The pump system that is chosen must be carefully designed to address the irrigation needs of the area. This is usually where all the most frequently asked questions come into play, so let’s cover them.
How Does A Lake Water Pump Work?
A pump station extracts the water from the detention basin through underground pipes that run from the basin to the station. If needed, it is filtered and pressurized and then the water is distributed through the irrigation system.
How Does Water Get Into The Detention Basin?
Typically natural runoff from the lake, rainwater from the streets, and other groundwater is sufficient. However, in certain cases, a pump may be needed to pull water from the lake or other water source to replenish the basin. The design of the community can also have gutters that specifically direct runoff to the basin.
How Do You Stay Vigilant With Water Usage And Conservation?
Conserving water and reducing waste is crucial in any region but especially in a hot climate like here in Houston. Waste isn’t just leaving faucets on by accident all night or letting sprinklers run in the rain. It’s also failing to contain runoff and channeling it to the basin to be reused, or not capturing lake overflow.
Waste comes in many forms but the result is just as costly. However, capturing runoff, properly channeling overflow, and managing irrigation systems is useless if your pump is weak or bad. Having a properly sized lake water pump that is filtered and pressurized if needed is crucial.
The more efficient your pump is the better it will perform and require fewer repairs. So, make sure the pump you install can handle the volume needed to service your community.
Houston Often Has Torrential Rainfall And Flooding. What happens To All The Excess Water?
Houston is no stranger to dealing with everything from powerful tropical storms to remnants of Hurricanes that die out in the Gulf. Much of the developed areas of Houston and surrounding suburbs are covered by concrete, roofs, and other impermeable surfaces.
That leads to runoff in often large amounts and can lead to flooding. However, in a properly planned community, a detention basin and properly designed gutters can capture this runoff. Giving the water a place to be collected can help mitigate flooding.
Even light flooding can ruin landscapes and heavy flooding can damage homes as Hurricane Harvey showed us. Houston is full of natural detention basins in the forms of the many bayous around. However, when those crest, a proper municipal flood control, and lake irrigation system can turn a negative into a positive. Capturing water that would’ve destroyed landscape and containing it to be used for irrigation is a win-win.
Looking For Help With A Lake Water Pump?
At Gulf Coast Pump & Supply we have the inventory and decades of experience to build you a custom lake water pump station. Additionally, we can fully build out your entire lake water irrigation system that meets your specific needs. Contact us today!