This Standard has the following purposes:
1.1.1 Define a standard procedure to collect irrigation media filter test data.
1.1.2 Provide procedures to classify and characterize media filter test data from manufacturers and independent testing laboratories.
1.2 This Standard establishes a consistent basis to validate and support manufacturer?s statements on the performance, reliability, safety, and long-term effectiveness of individual irrigation media filtration systems. Sufficient data are to be developed so irrigation system designers and others can evaluate the suitability of a particular filter system for a specific application.
1.3 This Standard does not establish design criteria for irrigation media filters or specify media. It is not intended for use in ranking different products.
1.4 The scope of this Standard is to describe methods for obtaining sufficient, accurate data to determine performance characteristics of media filters used for irrigation. This Standard pertains only to media filters for irrigation water.
1.5 This Standard addresses the operation and performance of a system of media filter tank vessels, related valves, backwash mechanism, underdrains and manifolds. These components define the containment and processing assemblies associated with media filtration systems that ensure proper hydraulic characteristics, flow balance, and adequate cleaning of the media for a specific product design that has been installed and operated as recommended by a manufacturer.
1.6 The selection of the actual filtration media used inside the filtration system is not part of this Standard, although it is extremely important to overall filtration performance. The ultimate effectiveness of filtration depends on the depth and type of the media bed, velocity of water through the bed, physical composition and characteristics of the media, and equivalent pore-size distributions. Testing of individual media for its efficiency in filtration is likewise not part of this Standard.
1.7 Determinations of particulate composition of the outlet test fluid are used to assess the potential effectiveness of the entire backwash system in cleaning the media after extended use, and are not an evaluation of media performance.