Irrigation pumps generally work by the "lift operation" method, where a pump sends water along channels at a higher pressure than the source, to areas requiring irrigation, or the "sprinkler" method where water is raised to the required pressure for sprinkler/piping systems to spray water on fields or other areas needing irrigation.

Generally speaking, pumps used for irrigation are either displacement pumps or centrifugal pumps. Most irrigation pumps operate under the principle of centrifugal force, and there are several types including submersible pumps, turbine pumps and centrifugal pumps.

A sprinkler pump is a water pump that boosts the flow of water to sprinkler heads which spray water over areas requiring irrigation. There are two main types of sprinkler head - rotor and spray - amongst other efficient applications such as drip tubing and micro-jets. The field needs - pipe size, zone size - dictate the size of the pump system required.

Sprinkler & centrifugal pumps can be used with any source of fresh (clean) water. Screens are commonly used to prevent damage to the pump from dirt, debris and other natural objects that might get sucked in (such as weeds or fish)!

An irrigation booster pump increases the water pressure of a sprinkler system when the water pressure required by the system is higher than the pressure of the incoming water. Booster pumps are defined by the work they do, rather than their design. Most reclaim system recipients are limited by what they receive based on what other customers on the same distribution system are doing.

In the world of irrigation, transfer pumps move surface water from one water source to another. The transfer pump end design allows the movement of a large volume of water at lower pressure than is required from an irrigation system. Transfer pump design varies so much because of the vast range of applications for which they're suitable.

Submersible pumps are installed in deep wells for irrigation or lake augmentation purposes. The pump and motor could, indeed, be anywhere from 40ft to hundreds of feet deep!

A stormwater pump is an effective method of drawing excess water from a lake at times of heavy rainfall and pumping it into an overflow lake. In residential communities where lakes form the water source for irrigation, it's a very effective flood avoidance mechanism.

A lake recharge pump pulls water from a well to help with lake augmentation. The irrigation system pulls water from a lake overnight then the refill pump system pulls water from a different aquifer to replenish the lake during the day. This process can also be automated using sensors to monitor water levels. Nearly every project in Florida is limited with replenishing no more water than was withdrawn from the lake.