Distribution

Provide sufficient drinking water

Various water installations can be used to distribute water. Depending on the type of source, we give you advice about all the necessary equipment for transporting water from A to B, i.e. from the source to the animal.

What all should I think about?

The water source

Which water is used on a farm largely determines the initial quality and what the rest of the water supply will look like. The choice of the right water source depends on the location, availability, volume and cost. In the livestock sector, well water is often used, but the reuse of rainwater is also in full development. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each water source?

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  Tap water

  Tap water is generally a very reliable source of drinking water. The water is purified by the water utility company and its quality is checked regularly and extensively. However, frequently a relatively large water connection has to be requested and you are not always assured of sufficient pressure. All in all, tap water is a relatively expensive option for professional livestock farmers.

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  Well water

  Building your own well for pumping up groundwater means that water is always available. Depending on the depth and location of the well, the quality of water can vary greatly. Therefore it is necessary to purify the water after pumping. Usually this consists in the removal of excess minerals such as iron, manganese or lime. Floating dirt can also be filtered out, for example.We recommend a deeper well with a large diameter. A shallow well often has worse and highly variable water quality. If the diameter is too small, there is a risk for pumping up sand. In both cases, more extensive wastewater treatment will be required.The advantage of having your own well is that you can easily adjust the capacity and the required pressure to your specific business situation. In addition, well water is almost always the best option in terms of cost. In fact, it allows you to save several thousands of euros per year compared to tap water.

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  Rainwater/Precipitation

  Rainwater is naturally clean. The water quality is mainly determined by the way in which it is collected and stored. In the livestock sector, rainwater is often collected via the roof surface and stored in concrete bunkers in the ground. This way, however, a lot of dirt can come along in the water, such as leaves, dust and bird droppings. It is therefore important to filter the water before it is stored. The filtered rainwater is stored in a citerne or bunker. As soon as the water is pumped up, it goes through a filter system and it can be disinfected by means of UV light.

Pumping

The water is brought from the well to the animal by means of a pump. The type of pump depends on the current situation, the desired well and your personal wishes. For the correct selection of a pump, the pump needs to be looked at only for 10%. 90% of the pump type is determined by the environment in which it is placed. It is estimated that around 70% of the pumps are selected incorrectly in practice. This can be due to an incorrect pump selection, but also to changes in your process or a modified production capacity due to renovation. An incorrect pump can result in increased maintenance costs, excessive energy consumption, unstable production and a shortened pump life.

The most common water pumps on agricultural farms are:

Underground pumps

Above ground pumps

Self-priming pumps

Centrifugal multi-step pumps

Pressure regulators

Finally, a pressure regulator is essential for keeping the pressure in your water supply system constant. It can be frequency controlled or on an on/off basis, both systems have advantages and disadvantages. Our advisors will be happy to help you find the ideal water system for your company.