A large-scale indoor agricultural operation that produces a variety of lettuces and microgreens was seeking a solution to remove suspended solids and debris from its water source to prevent clogging of the irrigation system’s pipes, sprinklers heads, and the drip irrigation system. Self-cleaning water filtration reduced water waste and labor required for cleaning and maintenance.

Challenge

The new construction indoor agricultural operation relies on a large irrigation system that uses city water resulting in both organic and inorganic suspended solids that need to be removed to achieve optimal irrigation. Because a manual screen filter system would require frequent cleaning and maintenance, the indoor agricultural customer sought a solution that was easy to maintain, provided low water consumption, and contained self-cleaning capabilities. The manual systems are time-consuming and labor-intensive, which would have impacted the customer’s ability to efficiently irrigate their crops. The customer was also concerned about the amount of water being wasted during the cleaning process, as well as the potential for debris to bypass the filter and clog the irrigation system.

Solution 

Before selecting a filter, the indoor agricultural operation tested a variety of filters, including automatic and manual screen filters and piston filters. Ultimately, the indoor agricultural customer selected Evoqua’s VAF® V-200P Automatic Screen Filter for its ease of maintenance, low water consumption, and self-cleaning feature. The V-200P is a self-cleaning filter that uses a flushing cycle to remove suspended solids and debris from the screen surface. The filter operates on a continuous basis leveraging its bi-directional drive mechanism making it the simplest and most efficient filter design. The filter’s simplistic design contains fewer moving parts (no limit switches or pistons reversing the cleaning mechanism), simpler controls, greater cleaning efficiency, and lower maintenance requirements. The flush discharge is among the lowest available resulting in minimal waste. 

Results 

After installing Evoqua’s VAF® V-200P Automatic Screen Filter, the customer saw significant improvements in their irrigation system’s performance. The filter’s self-cleaning feature reduced the amount of time and labor required for maintenance, allowing the customer to focus on more profitable aspects of their operation, including growing and optimizing care of their crops. Meanwhile, the low water consumption rate during the flushing cycle also reduced the amount of water wasted during the cleaning process, using less than 1% of the total flush volume in the system. Most significant, Evoqua’s VAF® V-200P Automatic Screen Filter’s ability to remove suspended solids and debris from the water source has prevented clogging of the irrigation system’s pipes and sprinklers, improving crop yields and reducing the need for costly repairs.

Evoqua’s VAF® V-200P Automatic Screen Filter was the ideal solution for the customer’s irrigation application. The filter’s ease of maintenance, low water consumption, and self-cleaning feature have improved the efficiency and performance of the customer’s irrigation system. Evoqua’s solution has helped the customer to reduce labor costs, water consumption, and repair expenses, while improving its crop yields.