Well with pitless adapter. Cold climate. Water lines installed at 8 feet below grade.
Right now to irrigate my orchard, the water goes from the well, 200 feet to the house via 1" line, then 200 feet back out via 3/4" line, then 1500 feet via 1.5" line. Where the 3/4" line joins the 1.5" line is only 20 feet from the well head. At about 1000 feet into the 1.5" line I've teed off to a 30 gallon pressure tank.
Can I drill out the top of the pitless adapter and attach a yard hydrant to the top of the pitless adapter? This would bypass the 400 foot round trip to the house. It would mean that the hydrant when it is closed, would drain back into the well. This saves me 11.4 psi at 6 gpm in the 3/4 inch line, and 2.8 psi in the 1" line.
At present this valve would be operated twice a year -- in spring when I start the irrigation system, and in fall when I shut it down. All my piping to and in the orchard is done with sod level pipes: Dig a 2" deep trench, lay the pipe, and fill in the dirt. This protects the pipe from lawn mowers (but not rototillers...) and being close to the surface it thaws out about the time the buds break in spring.
(Yes, I would put a check valve in to keep the entire contents of the orchard plumbing from draining back. I already have a valve in the surface line for draining in fall.)
The alternative is to patch into the line to the house. We are in a cold climate. That requires digging 8 feet.
