Design & Installation of A New Automatic Irrigation System Across Two Fields
Tracy Village, a cornerstone non-profit social and sports club in Lyons, Darwin, relies heavily on its two sporting fields to provide essential recreational space for the community. These fields host a variety of sports, most notably cricket, which is played throughout the year, making their upkeep and functionality paramount.
Tracy Village’s existing irrigation system was struggling to keep pace with the demands of their busy sporting grounds. The outdated system was not only inefficient, leading to excessive water usage and costs, but also unreliable. Certain areas lacked full automation, forcing staff and volunteers to manually activate the system, often at inconvenient times like late at night, to avoid interrupting play or practice. This manual process was time-consuming and prone to inconsistencies, impacting the quality of the playing surfaces.
The two fields, a large oval spanning 19,000 square metres and a smaller practice oval of 7,500 square metres, presented unique irrigation challenges. They required a solution that could deliver uniform water distribution across both areas, ensuring consistent turf quality. Furthermore, the club recognised the need for a system that could be managed remotely, allowing for real-time adjustments and monitoring. Importantly, they also sought a future-proofed solution, capable of accommodating potential expansion to other fields as the club continued to grow and develop.
Think Water Darwin was engaged by Tracy Village Social Club to design and install a comprehensive, modern irrigation system. Recognising the club’s need for automation, remote access, and future scalability, Think Water Darwin developed a tailored plan that prioritised water efficiency and minimal maintenance. The primary objective was to transform the dry fields into lush, green playing surfaces. Precise irrigation was crucial to prevent both overwatering and underwatering across both ovals.
Think Water Darwin’s approach included a detailed site assessment and design phase, ensuring the new system would meet the specific needs of Tracy Village. This involved extending the mainline to ensure it was adequately sized to reach the practice oval, located 80 metres from the main oval, and to accommodate future expansion.
This infrastructure was designed to support subsequent irrigation developments, allowing the club to expand their irrigation capabilities without major infrastructure changes. Meticulous planning of sprinkler placement was conducted to guarantee even water distribution across both fields, taking into account the varying topography and soil conditions.
Additionally, a sophisticated remote monitoring and control system was implemented, enabling staff and volunteers to manage the irrigation system from any location via a user-friendly interface. This system allowed for real-time monitoring of water usage, scheduling adjustments, and fault detection, ensuring optimal performance and efficiency.
Premium-quality products from trusted suppliers were utilised, including Hunter irrigation products, Vinidex piping systems, Terracorp water storage tanks, and Grundfos dual pump systems. Specifically, the installation included two Grundfos pump dual systems to provide reliable water pressure, approximately 100 Hunter I25 sport turf sprinklers strategically positioned to ensure even coverage, and Vinidex piping, alongside two Terracorp tanks for adequate water storage capacity.
The installation was scheduled between the cricket and football seasons, necessitating a three-week turnaround. Effective project management was essential to ensure the timely delivery and installation of all components. This included strategic on-site material placement to minimise disruption to club activities and optimise the installation process.
Following the installation, the Think Water Darwin team, in collaboration with the Tracy Oval Cricket Club, top-dressed the backfilled irrigation trenches on the fields. This ensured that any soil subsidence from trenching was rectified, resulting in a level playing surface.
“The client was particularly impressed with the project management, the performance of the system, and the efficiency of the installation,” said Adam Stockwell, Managing Director of Think Water Darwin. “They appreciated our consultative approach, which ensured their needs were fully met.” The result is a state-of-the-art irrigation system that will keep the fields in top condition and allow Tracy Village to continue to provide excellent sporting facilities for the Darwin community.
Before
During
After
Think Water Darwin is part of an industry-leading franchise group with more than 50 locally-owned stores across Australia and New Zealand. Each individual franchise is supported with national supply arrangements, marketing support and training.
Monday – Friday – 7:30am- 5:30pm
Saturday – 9:00am- 12:00pm
Sunday – Closed