Operational aspects of surface water use in Australian poultry farms

Surface water is used in Australian commercial poultry farms where alternative economical supplies of water are not available. There may be circumstances where different types of water supply are used in combination with surface water. On some properties, different types of water supply may be used for different purposes. Combined sources of water may be used:

• when mixing moderately saline bore water with surface water to reduces alinity, making the water more suitable for use
  
  
• when quality water from the mains supply or bore is used for drinking purposes while surface water is used for cooling (evaporative or fogging)
  
  
• when surface water use is seasonal. While mains or bore water supply may be adequate during the winter, the higher demands for water for cooling in summer requires on-farm stored surface (dam) water
  
  
• when excess bore water is stored in a dam during winter for use on the poultry farm during times of high water demand in summer
  
  
• when poultry gain opportunistic access to surface water after heavy rain periods.
  
  

Most commonly, surface water is pumped into holding tanks and distributed throughout the farm by further pumping or gravitation. Storage facilities may have constant inflows proportional to water demand or be fed from a primary storage that is filled when needed. Total farm water storage (tanks) can vary from a few hours’ to a week’s supply. Smaller tanks can be plastic, fibreglass or steel with larger tanks made from concrete or steel, with plastic liners. On newer farms, storage tanks are also required by planning laws to be able to serve a secondary purpose—that of a fire fighting water supply.

Surface water, other than that delivered in piped irrigation distribution systems, is accessible by waterfowl within the boundary of the property housing the poultry. This proximity provides a further risk of horizontal contact between waterfowl or their waste with commercial poultry.

Even in situations where there is adequate mains water or quality bore water for drinking water and cooling use, planning authorities often require the building of retention or dry basin dams on new poultry developments to ensure farm run-off is kept within the boundaries of the property. Similarly, dams may be created on a new poultry development site to provide the necessary material for earthworks in constructing the shed foundations or pads. As earthworks are expensive, the cost is minimised by obtaining earth immediately adjacent to the sheds rather than carting it from a more distant location.

If these dams are frequented by waterfowl, they can pose some risk through attracting waterfowl closer to poultry sheds. This problem is further exacerbated if cereal grain cropping is undertaken on the land immediately surrounding the sheds. In such situations, risk can be reduced by bird aversion activities and using clean footwear and foot baths prior to entry to the sheds. In free range facilities, poultry should be denied access to surface water, and attractants to wild waterfowl must be minimised.