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How to Make Your Own Drip Irrigation
No. 2 in the Izindaba Zokudla
Make Your Own
Series of DIY Technology Guides.
Developed by Balimi Food Security Company, 2013
Angus D. Campbell, 2015
University of Johannesburg
Some photographs by Kyle Brand, 2013 (used with permission)
http://www.designsocietydevelopment.org/project/izindaba-zokudla
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International License.
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To make this drip irrigation system you will need only a handful of components and
materials. Everything you need can be obtained from a hardware store. The store
assistant or owner will also be able to help you in building one of these and in
selecting the right components. Make sure everything fits before you walk out of the
shop.
You do not need to use exactly the same materials and components as shown here.
Anything that gets the job done will work. For this drip irrigation system, you will need
the following:
Image
Description
Cost
1x 25-meter POLY
IRRIGATION PIPE
LDPE
R133 (Builders
Warehouse -
BW)
1x WATER
CONTAINER of at least
100-litre capacity
Price varies
based on size
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1x EMJAY POLY
THREADED SOCKET
20mm.
R22 (BW)
1x EMJAY BARREL
NIPPLE 20mm
R9 (BW)
2x 20mm RUBBER
WASHER.
R7 (BW)
1x 20mm ECONO
THREADED PVC BALL
VALVE
R19 (BW)
1x EMJAY INSERT
NYLON MALE
ADAPTER 20mm
R6 (BW)
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1x EMJAY INLINE
FILTER 20mm
R174 (BW)
3x EMJAY NYLON
INSERT TEE (you may
need more depending
on the size of land you
want to irrigate)
R10 each x 3 =
R30 (BW)
2x EMJAY NYLON
INSERT ELBOW 20mm
2 x R7 = R14
(BW)
1x Ball of POLY AGRI
TWINE
1kg roll cost
R150 (BW)
4x EMJAY MALE PLUG
THREADED 15mm (you
may need more
depending on the size
of land you want to
irrigate)
4 x R5 = R20
(BW)
TOTAL COST (without
pipe or tools):
R584
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EVERYTHING YOU NEED:
TOOLS
You do not need a lot of tools to build your own drip irrigation system, but a few will
help. You need a spanner for the nuts, a pair of pliers, a hacksaw or sharp knife for
the pipe; a pair of pliers and thick wire to hold the pipe down. A drill and 20mm drill
bit will be useful to drill the hole through the water container, but you could also just
use a sharp nail. Thin wire to thread poly twine through the holes is the last thing you
need.
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BUILDING YOUR DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN 17 STEPS
1. Place the water container which should be a minimum of 100 liters on bricks so
that it sits higher than where it is required to water. It is a good idea to place it near a
roof, which you could add a gutter to so that you can collect water in the container to
irrigate your crops.
2. Drill a 20mm hole in the side and as low as possible into the container.
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3. File the edges smooth with a file or threaded rod.
4. Insert the EMJAY BARREL NIPPLE 20mm into the hole together with one of
the20mm RUBBER WASHERs (this has not be shown in the photo, but will help
ensure there are no leaks). Also consider adding a bead of silicon at the point the
washer and nipple meet.
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5. Place the 20mm THREADED SOCKET inside the container with one of the 20mm
RUBBER WASHERs (this has not be shown in the photo, but will help ensure there
are no leaks). Also consider adding a bead of silicon at the point the washer and
socket meet.
6. Tighten the socket on the inside until they are both a tight fit on the wall of the
container. You may need someone to help you with the tightening inside the
container while you hold a spanner on the outside.
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7. Screw the 20mm BALL VALVE onto the NIPPLE. Make sure to place the tap on
top so it is easy to access and then screw on the NYLON MALE ADAPTER to the
ball valve to add the irrigation pipe to.
8. Cut a short piece of the POLY IRRIGATION PIPE with a knife and attach the
EMJAY INLINE FILTER 20mm. The filter is installed to prevent any objects in the
water blocking the drip holes. Remember to clean it regularly especially if you collect
water from your roof!
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9. Now add another short section of pipe and add the EMJAY NYLON INSERT TEE
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10. Depending on the size of land you want to irrigate, add more EMJAY NYLON
INSERT TEE and one the outer edges add the EMJAY NYLON INSERT ELBOWs.
11. Then lay rows of pipe where you want to irrigate.
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12. Bend small “U” shaped pieces of wire to hold the pipes in place and add down
the lengths of pipe.
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13. Use the EMJAY MALE PLUG THREADED 15mm to plug the ends of the pipes or
fold over the ends back on themselves and wire in place.
14. Drill holes or use a nail to push holes into the POLY IRRIGATION PIPE. Space
the holes far enough apart for the vegetables you would like to irrigate.
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15. Now take a thin piece of wire and fold it over to form a needle. Then thread a
about a 10cm piece of POLY AGRI TWINE through your needle.
16. Now push the needle through the holes in the POLY IRRIGATION PIPE and pull
the POLY AGRI TWINE through the holes. Remove the needle leaving the twine in
the hole. The twine helps wick the water out of the holes and also prevents them
from blocking with soil.
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17. Now enjoy the fruits of you labour!
☺