Monitored Irrigation System in Verona

To enable more efficient long-term use of the valuable resource water, the Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese decided to construct an irrigation system for agricultural purposes. For the almost 80 km long pipeline, both the egeplast SLM® DCT and the monitored egeplast SLM® DCS were utilized.

Water is a precious resource, especially in hot and dry regions. Therefore, supplying water to extensive agricultural areas, particularly in southern countries, can involve significant logistical challenges. A newly established irrigation system will address this issue for an agricultural area in Villafranca di Verona in the Italian province of Verona.

Monitorable Irrigation System

The entire project comprises almost 80 km of pipelines of various dimensions. For a large part of the route, the Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese utilized the egeplast SLM® DCT. Thanks to the stress-crack resistant PE 100-RC material used and its robust protective casing, the new pipe system is capable of meeting the high demands of stony soil conditions. The progress of the extensive pipeline construction work was significantly accelerated by the sand-bed-free Installation.

The most significant feature: an integrated detection tape, which makes it possible at any time – even in
the future – to locate the pipeline underground. This allows the route to be precisely surveyed in the future, and accidental damage can be avoided. Since the pipe used is also resistant to corrosion, this new infrastructure will transport the
urgently needed water safely and without damage for many generations.

To test the capabilities of the SLM® DCS system for future projects, the Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese decided to deploy it in a section of approximately 1 km. Thanks to the integrated detection tape and a monitoring unit tailored to the application, the SLM® DCS enables convenient, efficient, and reliable pipeline monitoring. It sends an alarm to a smartphone even before a leak occurs – minor damage to the outer protective layer is sufficient to trigger an alarm. The damage can be located with meter-level precision.

Comprehensive Consulting and
Construction Site Support by egeplast

To execute the project quickly and flawlessly, clients and construction companies rely on close cooperation with egeplast. The planning and design of the monitoring principle, on-site instruction in the SLM® DCS system including application engineering support, and verification of the system’s proper Installation were carried out by an egeplast expert. The functionality of the fully installed system was also demonstrated to interested planners during a site visit. During the visit, various drillings and minor damages were simulated on the intact pipeline. The attending specialists were visibly impressed by the immediate alarm notification received on their smartphones.

“Successfully completing complex projects for the protection of valuable resources is, of course, particularly satisfying. We thank the consortium for the excellent cooperation and are pleased to be able to support this important project with our
SLM® DCS system,” says Daniele Cucchiarini.

After completion of the final sections, the construction work, which began in 2023, will be concluded after the summer irrigation period at the end of 2025.