Improving Access to Irrigation for All 

By Sam Kastner

Project Description 

My aim was to create solar-powered water pumps to allow for irrigation throughout the gardens via PVC pipes. I began by making the first pump in the greenhouse at the front of the gardens, which was built last year. Brooks Ballard, Mihai Cuibus, and I began construction during the summer and finished in late September. This system is a great improvement to the gardens and will see much use in the coming years. Please note, not all of the system has been completed; this is still a work in progress. Also, while construction of the greenhouse solar energy system was not my grant, I assisted in its construction. For more on the solar system install that pumps the water, please see this page.

Students Involved

• 2 project leaders aged 15-24

• 2 total project participants(excluding leaders)

• 0 project participants aged 15-24

Outputs Produced

• 1 solar panel powered pump

• 5 water stations connected to solar panel

• 2 more water systems(to come)

  • Frame for 1st new station complete

Outcomes Resulting

• As a result an entire column of the gardens will have easy in garden access to water

• As a result the elderly will not have to exert themselves getting water

Process

1. Scout location for pump and water source

2. Map out locations of water stations

3. Calculate the pressure needed to retrieve the water by measuring distances between different locations

4. Order supplies from Home Depot and Amazon

5. Construction of trenches, connecting and fitting pipes, electrical work

6. Test the system for any malfunctions, such as unglued PVC 

7. Repeat until all pumps have been placed (for the future)

The Future

Currently we are constructing the second system with personal funds, and will purchase the materials for the next pumps.

Lessons Learned

In this project the largest issue I found was organization and management. With several members of our project team absent, the physical labor was intensive and slow. If I were to work on this project again, I would set a strict attendance requirement. Next time I would also have collected all the materials needed prior to construction, so that stopping and restocking would not be necessary.

Thank You's

I am grateful and indebted to Mayor Armacost, Mihai Cuibus, Brooks Ballard and Bloomberg Philanthropies.