Poor maintenance and improper design also are major causes of SDI failure. The life expectancy depends primarily on filtration, maintenance, and proper design. Flushing of the driplines should be a part of routine maintenance. Recovery or corrections are costly, if not impossible. Economic losses will occur during the process.
All irrigation systems require proper maintenance.
The major cause of failures in SDI and other microirrigation systems worldwide is clogging. The emitters in SDI systems are small, leaving a small margin for error, so it is important to understand the filtration and maintenance requirements of SDI systems and take a proactive approach to the prevention of clogging. Fortunately, most SDI users in the Great Plains are pumping high-quality groundwater, such as from the Ogallala aquifer. This reduces the potential for clogging. Even so, proper steps must be taken to prevent clogging and maintain effective SDI system operation.