Water conservation is critically important for winegrape growers in Sonoma County due to the region’s dependence on limited water resources and increasing climate variability. As droughts become more frequent and severe in California, sustainable water use is essential to protect both productivity and the long-term health of local ecosystems. The RCD works with voluntary growers to reduce water use while maintaining their grape quality. Agricultural Project Manager, Brett LeDuc, has spent her summer mornings assisting vineyard owners and managers with distribution uniformity, often referred to as DU, and pump efficiency testing to support their water conservation goals.
A DU test measures how evenly an irrigation system delivers water across a block. Over time, naturally occurring minerals in the water can clog filters and emitters, equipment can wear out or become damaged, leaks or pump issues can be hard to spot, and steep slopes, which are home to many vines in Sonoma County, can make delivering water evenly especially tricky. This can mean some vines receive too much water while others don’t get enough.
Our team has also been conducting pump efficiency tests, while the DU test looks at how water is distributed in the field, a pump test evaluates how efficiently the pump itself is moving water. This involves measuring the amount of water the pump delivers, the pressure it generates, and the energy it consumes. By analyzing these values, Brett and our team can determine whether the pump is operating at peak performance or if it’s working harder than necessary due to wear, improper sizing, or other issues. Identifying and correcting these problems can significantly reduce energy costs and extend the lifespan of the equipment.
Thanks to funding from the Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), we are able to offer DU and pump efficiency testing at no cost to non-residential sites within GSA boundaries between now and March 31st. Please reach out to Brett LeDuc at bleduc@sonomarcd.org or (707) 569-1448 ext. 120 to schedule a test.
