Are you going with the flow or going against the flow?
Water flowmeters!  Love 'em or hate 'em they are required and learning more about flowmeters and the regulations that govern them could help you to get more out of your flowmeter and stay in compliance.  In this column we will talk about the basics of flowmeter design, installation, use, maintenance and compliance or "going with the flow" instead of against it.

Water flowmeters being installed to comply with a Kansas water right must meet the specifications outlined in K.A.R. 5-1-12 before they can be used in Kansas.  The Kansas Department of Agriculture - Division of Water Resources maintains a list of approved water flowmeters, flow tubes and pivot risers from several manufacturers.  This list is available from GMD3 or on the KDA website and is updated regularly.

When purchasing a new flowmeter or having an existing flowmeter repaired one should consider:
·         The amount of water being pumped and pipe size- to be accurate flowmeters require a full water profile (full pipe) at the point of measurement.
·         The unit of measurement- the most common units of measurement are hundred gallons, thousand gallons or acre feet.  A meter cannot "cycle past zero more than once each year" so the authorized quantity of the water right should be considered.
·         Location of the flowmeter- a flowmeter must be located so it will measure all water from a well before the water is diverted to different uses or locations.
·         Available spacing - flowmeters require certain amounts of upstream and downstream spacing depending on the type of flow at a given location.

If you are repairing or replacing a meter or need to make changes in your diversion works, this is the time to consider these and other issues.  Obviously there is much more detail involved than can be explained in this article but hopefully these points will help you to be more informed.

At GMD3 we are committed to assisting water users with beneficial use and conservation of this most vital resource.  If you have any questions, topics you would like to see covered or would like to discuss flowmeters or other water issues please don't hesitate to contact us.

Chris Law

Resource Technician

One of the many services offered by the District is certified flow tests for your installed flowmeter.  We can clamp our non-intrusive flowmeters to the outside of just about any pipe and get an accurate reading to compare with your installed flowmeter.  Just like your flowmeter, our meter works better on installations that offer plenty of straight run prior to our test site.  State regulations say that your installed flowmeter must be within a +/-6% accuracy to be in compliance.  When we do perform a test for you, it is critical that you have the flowmeter serviced  if it falls outside the required accuracy range. 

Our flowmeters are tested on certified test stands every year to ensure that we are providing the best service we can.  At the same time, we have two staff members, Chris Law & Jason Norquest,  that are certified by the State to perform the test.  This allows us to provide you with a very reliable service that can help with making sure we are getting the best information possible for your water use reports.

If you want to verify that your flowmeter is registering accurately or have been required to get a flow test by the State, please contact our office and ask for Chris Law or Jason Norquest.

Jason Norquest

Assistant Manager