Mobile backhaul is one of the hottest topics in the cellular industry, particularly when discussing outdoor small cell (metrocell) deployment. Mobile operators all over the world are trying to figure out how to backhaul such a key asset to cope with the increasing mobile data demand in urban areas. Availability of several complementary backhaul technologies, all of them offering pros and cons,further complicates carriers’ decisions. The allegory with irrigation systems introduces a fresh new approach to metrocell backhaul with the objective of highlighting the main challenges while isolating them from deep technical concepts.