s,

So what size is your planting areas? What do you plan to plant? 1,600 gal/day equates to 1 gal/min. I suggest you time filling a 5-gal bucket from a outside house faucet and calculate your gallons/minute. Also place a hose bib pressure gauge on the same faucet and measure the pressure. Let us know what you discover. JMHO Aloha

Hiya:

I have about 1500 sqft available for planting. I do get 1 gal/min (the pump fills the tank 50 gal every 50 mins). I get pressure by evacuating the 1000 gal storage tank with an ag pump - it's a big pump and makes lots of pressure. Right now I use about 5% of the water. With the lawns going in, that might increase to 10-15%.

I wonder if there are any great plants/trees that people don't choose to keep in ground because they are simply too thirsty?

s,

1000 x 15% equal 150 gallon to cover 1,500 SF of planting plus 4,000 SF of grass. 1.25" of water needed on 5,500 SF is 573 CF which equates to 4,285 gallons a week needed to irrigate your yard. Just 1,500 SF x 1.25" equals 156 CF or 1,170 gallons a week. It takes 17 hours to fill your tank. Something is out of whack. You would be running your fill pump constantly and irrigating almost everyday for different part of your planting area and lawn. Anyway good luck and this is JMHO Aloha

I don't doubt your calculations at all! The fill pump does run every 50 minutes no matter what - I have to evacuate the water or else it floods my basement. The tank get filled and the overflow goes to the curb.

The lawns are not in yet so I am just irrigating trees and veggies now. There is fresh water pretty close to the surface so that many established trees don't need watering (not on my property...my trees are all new).

I think I figured for about 3000 sqft of lawn. I am going to use a combo of rye+bluegrass (and friend in town has that...very nice). I might end up using a LOT more...we'll see and thanks for the metrics.