Irrigation – Lake Pump? or Well?

There are many considerations when deciding if you would like to install a Lake Pump irrigation system or a Well irrigation system.

Lake Pump Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. Water quality is better than well or municipal water.  Plants love lake water.
2. The designer can pick your exact pump size to get the optimal pressure based on your landscape.  This often leads to much better coverage than a well system.
3. If you have city water you will be saving money with “free” lake water.
4. Lake Pump irrigation systems are sometimes the best choice for properties over 1.5 acres.

Cons:

1. Maintenance cost is always higher with a lake pump than any other type of system, and it is important to consider before installing.  The property owner will need to monitor the cleanliness of the lake filter.
2. Filtration can be an issue.  Certain areas of local lakes in Glen Arbor and Northport are simply to dirty or two shallow to work with a lake pump. Drip irrigation will often not work with lake pumps.
3. The cost of installation of a lake pump with intake line and filter is always higher than a well system.
4. Waves on Lake Michigan can move the intake line and lead to maintenance.

Well Irrigation System Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. Less maintenance than a lake system.  Well system’s fall into the “set it and forget it” category.
2. At Spinniken Lawn & Irrigation we believe simplicity is very important in design and a well system can be designed very simply with great coverage.
3. Less expensive than a Lake system.
4. Drip Irrigation works great with well sprinkler systems.

Cons:

1. Water quality is often a deciding factor, well water can sometimes stain your hardscapes.  In this case we have some options of filtration but lake pump can also solve the problem.
2. If you have an old well the pressure may not be good enough to have good irrigation coverage.
3. While well water or lake water are free city water is not.

Many homeowners worry that a well irrigation system could shorten the life of their well.  This is only true if the irrigation system is designed incorrectly.  At Spinniken we make sure that your well will not “cycle” on and off but instead runs constantly and smoothly while sprinklers are operating.  This is done through both dynamic flow and static pressure calculations.

Our team provides free quotes in Leelanau County for irrigation system installations.  Give us a call at 231-499-7782.