Modern agriculture increasingly depends on automation—not only to improve efficiency, but also to meet environmental compliance and sustainability goals. One emerging challenge, particularly in dairy and other agricultural operations, is the management of highly alkaline wastewater. In these environments, pH levels can reach 10, requiring precise and reliable control to neutralize wastewater before discharge.
This is where Barksdale technology plays a critical role.
The Application: Automated Irrigation & pH Neutralization
A manufacturer of automated water treatment systems has selected the Barksdale CS Series pressure switch as a key control component in their pH neutralization solution.
These systems are designed to manage water pH by dosing CO₂ into irrigation and wastewater streams. Commonly used across agriculture industries—including dairies—the systems address alkaline wastewater that must be treated prior to discharge. Through a closed, proprietary reactor design, CO₂ is dissolved into water to form carbonic acid, lowering pH levels in a controlled, automated process. The result is a completely hands‑off solution for the end user, while maintaining consistent and compliant discharge conditions.
To ensure this process only occurs under the proper operating conditions, pressure‑based activation is used—making Barksdale’s compact, mechanical pressure switches an ideal fit.
The Pressure Switch Application: A Critical System Trigger
In this application, the Barksdale CSP pressure switch is installed directly into the irrigation mainline, rather than inside the proprietary reactor equipment.
The switch acts as the system trigger. When mainline pressure reaches a preset minimum threshold, the pressure switch signals the treatment reactor to begin CO₂ dosing. If adequate pressure is not present, the system remains inactive—preventing unnecessary CO₂ use and ensuring the neutralization process only happens when sufficient flow exists.
By using pressure as the activation signal, the system achieves:
- Accurate and timely CO₂ dosing
- Consistent pH control
- Fully automated, operator‑independent performance
The pressure switch effectively becomes the decision‑making point for the entire treatment process, ensuring reliability without added system complexity.
Why We Won: The Barksdale Advantage
Barksdale was selected as the preferred component partner for this high-tech agricultural application for three key reasons:
-
Application-Specific Reliability (CS Series): The Compact Series (CS) provides an ideal, small-footprint solution for irrigation mainlines while offering the industrial-grade durability required for outdoor, rugged agricultural environments.
-
Precision Set-Point Stability: In irrigation systems where pressure can fluctuate, Barksdale switches provide a crisp, repeatable signal. This ensures that CO2 dosing never happens prematurely (preventing gas waste) or too late (preventing the discharge of untreated alkaline water).
-
OEM-Grade Integration: Because the manufacturer’s reactor technology is proprietary and closed to the user, they required a "fit and forget" external component. Barksdale provides a robust, professional-grade interface that matches the high reliability of their automated system, ensuring a maintenance-free experience for the end-user.
Check out our Datasheet