3 Reasons To Use A Well Instead Of A Cistern To Irrigate Your Small Farm
When you're starting a small farm on your property, irrigation is the key to making sure you're not overly susceptible to local weather conditions. During a drought, you can supplement rainfall with water to make sure that your plants don't wither away.
The two most popular ways to obtain water for irrigation are to either draw it from a well in the ground or store rainwater in a large cistern. While drilling a well is typically more expensive than installing a cistern, it's often the better choice. If you need a way to irrigate your small farm, read on to learn three reasons why using a well is better than using a cistern.
1. Wells Are Less Influenced by Drought Conditions
The biggest benefit of using a well for irrigation instead of using a cistern is that wells are less reliant on yearly rainfall patterns. It takes a very long time for rainfall to work its way down into the aquifer that your well draws water from, so they're less susceptible to sudden droughts.
During a drought, the local water table that a well draws from may drop slightly. This can result in less water flowing into your well. If your well is deep enough, however, it won't run entirely dry during a drought, and you'll still be able to water your plants.
With a cistern, you're entirely reliant on the rain for water. If there's a sudden drought in your area and it doesn't rain for months, your cistern may run dry. You have the option of having water delivered to your home in order to fill your cistern, but this is very expensive. Wells are a much more reliable option for keeping your plants healthy and hydrated.
2. Wells Are Smaller Than Cisterns
Wells also take up less space on your property than cisterns. A drilled well will only have a very small wellhead above ground, and the diameter of the well casing below ground is quite small. Since cisterns hold water instead of taking it from the local aquifer, they need to be very large.
An above-ground cistern for irrigation will take up quite a bit of space on your property. You can hide the cistern by installing an underground one, but this will drive up installation costs. Wells are less obtrusive, and their small size also makes it easier to find a good location for them.
3. Water From a Cistern May Contain Harmful Bacteria
Another downside of cisterns is that they can harbor bacteria. Cisterns collect water from a rain catchment, such as metal roofing panels. They can pick up bacteria while they're flowing into the cistern from sources like bird droppings, and the bacteria can start to reproduce inside your cistern.
Even if you're not drinking the water, bacterial contamination can still be a problem. Using contaminated water for irrigation can leave bacteria on the surface of vegetables that can be hazardous to your health. Wells take water deep from the ground, so the water isn't affected by surface contaminants.
Overall, the main reason why wells are preferable to cisterns for irrigation is that they're much more reliable. If the rain in your area stops, you'll need to irrigate your crops in order to keep them alive. When you're using a cistern, it's more at risk of drying out compared to a well, which leaves your crops more susceptible to drought conditions. If you're starting a small farm on your property, it's most often worth it to spend a little more and have a water well drilling service put a well on your property that you can use for irrigation.
Contact a local water well drilling service to learn more.
