Barney Bentall’s 57 Mile Ranch – Southern Cariboo Region of B.C.

“We were very impressed with the professionalism and responsiveness from the folks at Delta WaterTec. From the sales team through the installation and electrical, everyone was friendly helpful and easy to reach. We have already seen a significant increase in production from the pivot along with a reduced use of water. We would recommend them to anyone looking to upgrade their irrigation systems.” – Kath Wolverton and Barney Bentall

Details on the Irrigation Project

57 Mile Ranch is a family-owned and operated ranch focused on building long-term efficiency into its operation. As irrigation demands increased, they needed a system that would improve water distribution, reduce labor requirements, and provide flexibility across multiple fields, all while working within existing power and water availability limitations.

To accomplish this, we installed:

• A 3-tower Reinke pivot system
• New 6” and 4” HDPE mainline
• A 20 HP Cornell pump and motor package
• A fully integrated Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) system

This system now allows the ranch to irrigate their primary field with a pivot while continuing to irrigate a second field using handline (wheelmove) irrigation — all from one optimized pump system.

The Advantage of the Reinke Pivot

The addition of the 3-tower Reinke pivot brings modern irrigation efficiency to the ranch.

Key benefits include:

• Uniform water application – Improved crop consistency and yield potential
• Reduced labor requirements – Significantly less manual pipe moving compared to full handline irrigation
• Improved water efficiency – Precise application minimizes runoff and overwatering
• Operational reliability – Engineered for consistent performance season after season

The pivot reduces daily labor demand while improving irrigation accuracy — a major step forward for the operation.

The VFD: Efficiency, Flexibility & Power Conversion

The Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) is the core of this system and provides multiple layers of benefit beyond basic pump control.

1. Energy Efficiency & Pump Control

Rather than running the pump at full speed continuously, the VFD allows the motor to ramp up or down depending on irrigation demand. Whether operating:

• The pivot alone
• The handline field alone
• Or both simultaneously
• Turn on and shut off the system automatically

The VFD automatically adjusts pump output to match system demand, improving energy efficiency and lowering operating costs.

2. Soft Start & Equipment Protection

The VFD provides a gradual motor startup instead of a hard electrical start. This reduces stress on:

• The pump and motor
• Electrical components
• HDPE mainline infrastructure

The result is longer equipment life and reduced maintenance over time.

3. Single-Phase to Three-Phase Power Conversion

One of the most significant advantages on this project was the ability of the VFD to convert available single-phase power into three-phase power.

This eliminated the need for expensive three-phase utility upgrades and allowed the ranch to:

• Operate a three-phase pump motor
• Supply three-phase power required for the Reinke pivot
• Expand irrigation capacity without major power infrastructure costs

By using the VFD as a phase converter, 57 Mile Ranch was able to modernize its irrigation system while working within its existing electrical service.

4. Multi-Field Operation & Pressure Stability

The VFD maintains consistent system pressure, which ensures:

• Proper pivot nozzle performance
• Uniform water application
• Reliable operation when both fields are irrigating

This flexibility allows the ranch to adapt irrigation schedules based on crop need and water availability — without compromising system stability.

A System Designed for Growth

With upgraded HDPE mainlines, a properly sized Cornell pump package, pivot integration, and intelligent VFD control, 57 Mile Ranch now has:

• Greater operational flexibility
• Lower energy consumption
• Reduced labor requirements
• Improved irrigation uniformity
• A scalable system ready for future expansion

This project demonstrates how modern irrigation design — when paired with smart electrical solutions — can deliver performance, efficiency, and long-term value for family-run operations.

Barney Bentall – The Award Winning Musician

You can’t talk about late eighties and nineties Canadian roots music without mentioning Barney Bentall. He and his band, The Legendary Hearts, sold over half a million records, won a JUNO, and were radio favourites across the country before Barney traded in his rock and roll life for a cattle ranch in British Columbia’s Cariboo region.

Since the early days of the twenty-first century, Bentall has divided his time between his ranch, a home on Bowen Island, and the Arctic outback, where he travels several times a year to work as an adventure tour guide – but he’s been unable to step away from music completely.

Working with some of Canada’s finest musicians, he’s recorded five amazing acoustic albums as a solo artist, on top of the 6 albums published with his band as Barney Bentall and The Legendary Hearts.