Water distribution uniformity in localized irrigation with aeration, sedimentation and filtering system.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of an aeration, sedimentation and filtration system viewing to prevent the clogging of emitters as well as to evaluate water distribution uniformity in a drip irrigation system at the time of its implementation and a year after using the prevention system. The research was conducted at the ‘Estancia Tropical’ farm, in the municipality of Barretos, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, from March 2008 to February 2009, with water being physically and chemically evaluated at six sampling sites along a system composed of aerators with sprinklers on bed rocks and a settlement tank and a filter assemblage consisting of two sand filters and two disk filters in a localized irrigation system. The prevention system was efficient in improving water quality by reducing clogging risk levels from severe to medium and from medium to low. All the measured variables (oxygen dissolved in water, suspended solids, dissolved solids, turbidity, electrical conductivity, Fe, Fe, total iron, pH, and total Mn), with the exception of Fe, showed different levels of water quality along the sampling points of the treatment system. Suspended solids, turbidity, dissolved solids, and total iron values were reduced by the use of the proposed system, thus improving water quality. After a year of prevention, the coefficients CUC, CUD, and Us used to determine the uniformity of water distribution showed values above 80%, being so classified as excellent, good, and very good. Additional keywords: emitters clogging, quality of water for irrigation, uniformity coefficient Cientifica, Jaboticabal, v.39, n.1/2, p.7–17, 2011