Think Water Marlborough has recently earned the prestigious Think Water Project of the Year award for their work on the 50-hectare Wye Hills Limited vineyard development. The project not only highlighted the technical expertise of the team but also their ability to build trust and navigate significant challenges in a highly competitive and complex environment.
Think Water Marlborough wins new customer’s trust
Wye Hills Limited, a new customer with no prior relationship with Think Water Marlborough, initially faced external pressure from the winery that held their grape supply contract to use a different irrigation contractor. Despite this, the team at Think Water Marlborough managed to secure the project, winning the trust of Wye Hills and overcoming the winery’s push for a competing company. This achievement was a testament to Think Water Marlborough’s ability to build strong, credible relationships in a short time and also their ability to communicate the values of Think Water clearly to the customer.
The Project Scope
The scope of the project involved transforming an existing pivot irrigation system designed for pasture into a highly efficient vineyard irrigation system. The new system required the integration of multiple irrigation systems, including vineyard drip irrigation, K-Line irrigation for remaining pasture, and hard hose irrigation.
All of these systems needed to be designed and operated with seamless control, which added to the project’s complexity.
One of the biggest challenges was the construction of a 75,000m³ storage reservoir, which was delayed. This delay created a significant problem, as the reservoir was intended to serve as the primary water source for the vineyard. With no water available in the reservoir before the planting season, and little time left in the irrigation season, the team had to pivot their approach. They modified the existing diesel river pump system, originally used for pivot irrigation, to meet the needs of the vineyard’s drip system. This required an extensive reconfiguration, as the pump’s performance curve was not initially suited for the low-flow, high-pressure requirements of drip irrigation.
A key part of this modification involved upgrading the manually operated river pump to an automatic system. The team installed a remote pump start, integrating it with the main control system located 1.5 kilometers away. This complex integration ensured that the vineyard could be irrigated efficiently despite the delayed reservoir construction, providing much-needed flexibility to the operation.
Wye Hills Vineyard Development Challenges
The vineyard development also posed the challenge of managing two separate diesel-run pump systems, along with the automated fertigation system, and the different irrigation types in use across the site. Ensuring that the pumps, fertigation, and irrigation control systems worked together smoothly was no small feat, requiring careful design and engineering.
Compounding these technical difficulties was a dry summer with no rain to relieve the irrigation system. The team had to ensure precise and consistent irrigation for the newly planted vines during this critical phase. The success was seen in the rapid, uniform growth of the vines, made possible by the reliable irrigation system.
Think Water Marlborough’s ability to overcome challenges earned them
the Project of the Year award, showcasing their innovation, excellence, and customer focus.
