FastDitch is proposing an experiment to test the feasibility of developing a watertight interlocking seal for use in manufacture of an irrigation ditch liner, that if successful, will eliminate water loss completely, lower the cost of FastDitch liner material and increase installation efficiency, while providing durability characteristics and environmental compatibility. The proposed research will also determine the optimum configuration to maximize rate of flow, promoting irrigation efficiency and the elimination of sediment. APPROACH: The plan is to work with the Plastic Technology Center Laboratory at Penn State to use rotational molding manufacturing, a process that has never been done before with polyethylene type material. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The productive use of surface water for agriculture has become a critical national and international priority as competition for water resources increasingly outpaces supply. This is demonstrated by the World Bank's investment of $3 billion a year in water projects. Small earth-lined irrigation ditches are used to deliver water from larger canals or streams directly to fields. It is estimated that there are 27,000 miles of small irrigation ditches in the western United States alone. Tests have shown that earth-lined canals lose between 55% to 90% of the water that flows through them. Current alternatives for lining small earthen ditches are costly, difficult to install and have environmental and durability problems. There is increasing need for a global irrigation ditch liner that will sustain the advantages of earthen ditches, including environmental compatibility and low-cost, while providing for increased agricultural productivity through water conservation and the elimination of intensive maintenance. A watertight seal manufactured through low-cost rotational molding can make such a product commercially viable. FastDitch has demonstrated demand for a low-cost, efficient system to line small ditches. If experimentation can substantiate rotational molding manufacturing feasibility, subsequent Phase II testing is designed to lead to rapid commercialization through working with one of the premier plastic manufacturing companies in the country.
Keywords: rotational molding; watertight seal; irrigation; ditch; conservation
