This case study walks through a real irrigation design for a typical rectangular front yard of 200 m² (20 m × 10 m). The property features a lawn, two flower beds, and one ornamental tree. Water source: municipal supply at 25 L/min and 3 bar (43.5 PSI). Below is a complete breakdown of design decisions, hydraulic calculations, and equipment specifications.
1. Site overview and initial data
Rectangular front yard: 20 m long by 10 m wide. Flat terrain, slope under 1%. Soil type: loam, recommended precipitation rate 12 mm/h. Site objects:
- Lawn — main area (~160 m²), split by a walkway into left and right sections
- 2 flower beds — along the fence, total area ~30 m²
- 1 ornamental tree — canopy diameter 3 m, needs deep watering
The water tap is located on the left side of the house wall. Available pressure after the meter: 3 bar (43.5 PSI), maximum flow: 25 L/min.
2. Zone layout
Using the 75% rule, maximum flow per zone must not exceed 18.75 L/min. We divided the yard into 3 zones:
Zone 1 — Lawn (left section)
- 6× Hunter MP1000 (90–210°), radius 2.5–4.5 m
- Flow per nozzle: 1.7 L/min at 2.8 bar
- Total zone flow: 6 × 1.7 = 10.2 L/min ✓ (under 18.75)
- Precipitation rate: ~12 mm/h — matches loam absorption
Zone 2 — Lawn (right section)
- 5× Hunter MP2000 (90–210°), radius 4.0–6.4 m
- Flow per nozzle: 2.1 L/min at 2.8 bar
- Total zone flow: 5 × 2.1 = 10.5 L/min ✓
- Precipitation rate: ~12 mm/h — matched with Zone 1 for uniformity
Zone 3 — Flower beds (drip irrigation)
- 50 m drip line Netafim Techline, emitter spacing 30 cm, flow 2.3 L/h per emitter
- Total zone flow: 50 m × 2.3 L/h ÷ 60 = 1.9 L/min ✓
- Ideal for flowers — water delivered directly to the root zone without wetting foliage
3. Pipe layout
Mainline from tap to valve box: 32 mm PE pipe (15 m). From valve box to heads: 25 mm PE pipe (35 m total across 3 zones). Trenching depth: 25–30 cm.
- Mainline: 32 mm PE → 3× Hunter PGV-101 solenoid valves (1")
- Zone 1: 25 mm PE, 12 m → 6 sprinklers
- Zone 2: 25 mm PE, 14 m → 5 sprinklers
- Zone 3: 25 mm PE, 9 m → drip line manifold
4. Hydraulic calculations
Pressure loss using Hazen-Williams formula (C=150 for PE):
- Mainline 32 mm, 15 m, 10.5 L/min → loss 0.3 bar
- Lateral 25 mm, 14 m, 10.5 L/min → loss 0.5 bar
- Total friction loss: 0.8 bar
- Residual pressure at nozzle: 3.0 − 0.8 = 2.2 bar — sufficient for MP Rotator (minimum 1.7 bar)
5. Bill of Materials (BOM)
| Component | Model | Qty | Est. price |
|---|---|---|---|
| MP Rotator nozzles | Hunter MP1000 | 6 | €42 |
| MP Rotator nozzles | Hunter MP2000 | 5 | €40 |
| Spray bodies | Hunter PROS-04 | 11 | €55 |
| Solenoid valves | Hunter PGV-101 (1") | 3 | €60 |
| Drip line | Netafim Techline 2.3 L/h | 50 m | €35 |
| PE pipe 32 mm | Generic PE | 15 m | €20 |
| PE pipe 25 mm | Generic PE | 35 m | €30 |
| Backflow preventer | 1" backflow preventer | 1 | €25 |
| Controller | Hunter X-Core 4-zone | 1 | €55 |
| Valve box | Hunter VB-SPR | 1 | €15 |
| Fittings (set) | Generic — elbows, tees, couplings | ~20 | €25 |
Total estimated cost: €350–500 depending on supplier and region.
6. Results and verification
- Coverage: 95% of lawn area — verified in SmartPluvia with coverage visualization
- Pressure loss: 0.8 bar — within acceptable range (2.2 bar remaining)
- Precipitation rate match: both lawn zones deliver 12 mm/h — uniform watering
- Runtime: lawn 25 min/zone, flower beds 45 min → total cycle ~95 min
7. How to design this in SmartPluvia
- Plot boundary — press B, select "Rectangle" template 20×10 m
- Objects — add the tree and flower beds (press T)
- Sprinklers — press S, select MP1000 and MP2000 from the catalog
- Zones — press Z, create 3 zones, select "Drip" type for flower beds
- Pipes — press P, route mainline and laterals
- AI analysis — run coverage and hydraulic checks
- BOM — generate bill of materials
- PDF — export the project for the installation crew