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Design the drip irrigation system

Lay out the pipework, filter, pressure regulation and zones that will deliver the water need from food-4. Drip is the most water-efficient method for vegetable beds.

How

1. Start from the peak daily water need (food-4) and the supply available from your tank or pump (water module).
2. Choose emitters or drip tape. WSU Extension notes emitters are typically rated 0.2 to 4 US gallons per hour (about 0.8 to 15 L/h); pressure-compensating types keep output even on slopes or long runs.
3. Put a filter at the head of the system. WSU calls filtration the most important part because clogging is the biggest drip problem; the screen must be finer than the emitter opening.
4. Add a pressure regulator if your supply pressure exceeds the components' rating.
5. Add a backflow preventer wherever the irrigation connects to a drinking-water supply. WSU notes this is often required by law and always advisable.
6. Split the garden into zones so each zone's total emitter flow is within your supply's capacity. Use the Drip system flow calculator.
7. For small beds or where pumps are not wanted, consider ollas (buried unglazed clay pots) fed by hand or gravity from a tank.

Do these first

• water-1

Sources

1. Drip Irrigation for the Yard and Garden. Washington State University Extension, accessed 2026-11
2. Irrigating with Ollas (AZ1911). University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, accessed 2026-11

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