by Support Support
Oct 13 2021
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- Last updated Oct 13, 2021
- Livestock, Water Source
Introduction to water-source
Source of supply
If connected to the public water supply from the water company-owned distribution mains, it is reasonable to assume that the supply at the meter is safe to drink (potable) and free from contamination. However, treatment may include chlorination and often fluoridation, which may have an impact on herd health. Private water supplies, like from boreholes, springs, or even surface water, are less reliable in terms of microbial and chemical content. These supplies may require treatment to bring the water up to a certain standard that is suitable for pigs to drink. Such Treatments may include ultraviolet light (UV) for microbial contamination and chemical dosing/filtration to remove iron, suspended solids, and other contaminants.
It should be noted that On-farm supplies should be protected from contamination by implementing the precautions set in the Code of Good Agricultural Practice (COGAP) for farmers, growers, and land managers (Defra, 2009). Manures and slurries should not be stored on, or applied to, land within 50m of a borehole used for private water supplies. Such boreholes should not be located within 50m of a soakaway attached to a domestic septic tank system, a sprayer wash-down pad, a blind ditch soak away, or a biobed. In some limestone and sandstone aquifers, greater protection may be necessary to protect supplies against microbial contamination.
Treatment of incoming supply
Where water quality is poor or the supply is at risk of contamination, tests should be carried out to determine the nature and degree of treatment necessary to bring the supply up to potable standard or, if for livestock use only, suitable for that purpose. Basic testing of private supplies should be undertaken regularly, with samples taken from the primary outlet from the source to storage, or, in the case of pressurized borehole-fed systems, from an outlet at the head of the borehole.
Testing should be carried out for the following parameters, which are directly related to a healthy supply: lead, copper, nickel, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococci. The following parameters should also be tested to indicate general water quality and to assess potential impacts of the water on the distribution system: smell, taste, biological oxygen demand, hardness, suspended solids, conductivity (salinity) and iron. Treatment systems should be capable of handling the full rate of flow of the farm supply and the water placed in suitable storage to provide a buffer against breakdown and other breaks in supply