Dig deep to sort water supply integrity

Monthly fines are adding up; you know you have to do something about it, but what? Or maybe you've tried but have failed your test?

A sustainable solution to your water quality issues may begin with revamping how you collect and store water for the house, dairy shed and stock, but where do you start?

It's worth getting it right; failure to comply means more monthly fines and retesting costs. You can't make a 'sow's ear into a silk purse' and shortcuts or tricks will cause you to fall short of what's required and force you to revisit the problems. Also, the extension of penalty reimbursements makes this a great time to sort things out: you may be able to do it more easily than you think.

MPI demands that water meets farm dairy water standards because of food safety imperatives. Your water may fail because of E. coli (bacteria from the poo of warm blooded animals) clarity/turbidity (haze, sediment or cloudiness in the water) or colour (could be from leaves and dirt in streams or iron in water).

In some cases your water source is considered a risk (due to open surface water takes or water from natural sources such as rain, streams, or dams, even where no E coli is found).

For many years you have got away with some aspects and the fines imposed have meant it was cheaper and easier to pay fines than to fix problems.

But the sustainability of NZ as a world class dairy producer – making a premium product used in human (including baby) foods from water containing bacteria found in human poo (eg E. coli) – should be numbered. This issue is like those faced by grubby food take-aways and restaurants. The consumer can't be there to see how clean your shed so it makes sense to reduce risks to human health from nasties such as E. coli in water.

Remedial factors

Consider each factor to help in your water exclusion remediation.

• • • Supply: is your supply worth treating? Can you use an alternative source of water? Is the supply contaminated?
    • Sediment can be a big problem in river and dam takes. A settling tank can help remove heavy sand and reduce cost of filtration.
    • It also prevents damage from silt and sand in lines, trough valves and taps.
    • E. coli: consider your options; the treatment method of the oxidant should involve minimal operator intervention and the handling of chemicals is a factor. UV light is seldom effective in high volume applications, where colour is an issue or where water is stored. Consider costs in event of a water leak: a liquid chlorine dosing method can empty a drum of chlorine in a few hours. To comply, the method used must comply by dosing the water and have a means of measuring; it must also include all water in the shed, including hot water, not just the tub.
    • Contact time: treating water takes time. Size the tank after treatment to suit your plant use. The tank should be big enough to complete all operations during milking. There is merit in treating all shed water (rather than just plant wash water).
    • Integrity of water storage: ensure your storage tanks cannot be contaminated by birds, runoff or rain after treatment. Secure all lids and repair cracks.
    • Point of use: perished rubber hoses harbour bacteria. Replace rubber hoses at point of use.

Hidden costs

• • • Obvious costs – monthly penalties - $ price set to rise.
    • Penalty Grades for Bactoscan/E coli/Thermodurics - 20% for first level grade- increased grading risk by using bad water.
    • Hidden Costs - Wash down water containing high levels of bacteria increases mastitis cases by providing nutrients for flies and bacteria that cause the disease.

• The authors work for Farm Medix Ltd