Common Water Quality Problems on Farms

1. Common Water Quality Problems on Farms

2. Water Importance • Dairy cows need 4 to 4.5 lbs. per lb. of milk produced • A single cow may consume over 300 lbs. of water daily via drinking water and ration • Drinking water generally provides 80-90% of water needs

3. In General… • Role of water in milk production or herd health can often be very difficult to determine relative to other variables • The only simple way to determine its importance is to segregate a few animals and provide them with water of known quality

4. Types of Water Quality Problems • Low Intake and Milk Production • Perceived or measured? • Usually aesthetic pollutants • Especially common in mining areas • Health Effects • Often more difficult to determine cause • Many potential pollutants

5. Water Sources(may be a mixture!) Springs Wells Streams Ponds

6. Microbial Pollution • Sources - septic tanks, milkhouse wastes, manure • Source water vs. drinking cups, bowls, tanks? • May alter rumen microflora and compete with normal flora • Depressed production or health effects • Diarrhea (coliform, campylobacter, salmonella, giardia) • Reproductive effects (campylobacter) • Mastitis infections (pseudomonas, coliform) • Calf deaths – (E. coli.)

7. Microbiological Parameters Viruses (rotovirus, hepatitis, etc.) Standard Plate Count Heterotrophic Plate Count “total count, plate count, bacterial count, water plate count, total bacterial count” Protozoa (Giardia, Cryptosporidium) . Total coliform (many environmental sources) Fecal coliform (mostly fecal sources) E. coli (good fecal indicator) Other pathogens (Enterobacter, Klebsiella) Non-coliform pathogens H. pylori, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, Legionellae, Chlostridium, etc.

8. Studies of Bacteria in Private Water Systems More common in springs and shallow wells

9. Bacteria Standards • For sanitation • Water should be free of total coliform • For adult cows • < 50 per 100 mL total coliform • < 10 per 100 mL fecal coliform • For calves • Total and fecal coliform absent

10. Bacteria Treatment • Identify source • Septic system, milkhouse waste, animal waste? • Inspect wellhead area for obvious contamination • Shock chlorination is the first step • Readily inactivated by continuous chlorine • Chemical treatment generally not a problem for cows • UV light becoming very popular • All require clear water (pre-filter)

11. Iron and Manganese • Often found together • Mining and natural sources • Orange and black stains • Metallic taste causes intake reduction • Iron imparts taste over 0.3 mg/L • Occurs in about 20% of private water supplies • Iron bacteria may also occur • Manganese imparts taste over 0.05 mg/L and can be very difficult to treat

12. Hydrogen Sulfide • Rotten egg odor causes reduced intake. May also impart taste • May cause problems with: • anemia • copper, selenium, vitamin E nutrition • Caused by naturally occurring bacteria • Difficult to test – nose is best method • May be treatable with shock chlorination • Numerous methods available for continuous treatment

13. pH • Optimum pH for rumen = 6.4 to 6.8 • Low or high water pH may cause acidosis or alkalosis depending on diet • Reduced production, depressed milkfat, poor gains, lower feed intake, more infectious and metabolic problems • About 20% of water supplies < pH 6.5 • General range 5.1 to 9.0 -Natural or acid mine drainage -Acceptable range may be much larger depending on ration

14. Nitrate • Water impact depends on ration nitrate • Symptoms • Reproductive problems • Reduced gains in young stock • No effect on milk production • General guidelines (assuming normal ration) • Adverse effects possible if > 100 ppm as NO3 • 500-1,000 ppm may cause moderate toxicity • > 1,000 ppm may cause acute toxicity or death

15. Nitrate • 11% above 45 ppm as NO3 • Nearly all of these in SC or SE Pennsylvania • 3% above 100 ppm as NO3 • Highest concentration approached 200 ppm • Concentration correlated with distance to nearest active cornfield

16. Hardness • About 40% of water supplies • Generally not a problem • Include Ca and Mg intake from water in ration if Ca > 500 ppm or Mg > 125 ppm • Water with > 125 ppm Mg (or > 250 mg/L sulfate) may be laxative

17. Copper • Sources • Corrosion of plumbing • Pond treatment with copper compounds • Limits • May impart metallic taste over 1.0 mg/L • Liver damage may occur with extended exposure to concentrations over 0.6 mg/L • Acute toxicity at higher concentrations

18. Lead • Sources • Corrosive water = low pH, soft water • Dumps - especially old batteries • Lead • Accumulates in body • Numerous long-term health effects • Should be less than 0.10 mg/L • Occurs in about 20% of private supplies in PA

19. Blue-Green Algae • Tanks or ponds exposed to sunlight • Severe symptoms • Muscle tremors • Diarrhea • Lack of coordination • Collapse • Labored breathing • Liver damage • Death • Several species, most common = Anabaena • Like flow through ponds with high phosphorous

20. Basic Water Testing • pH • Total coliform bacteria (fecal?) • Total dissolved solids • Iron • Nitrate ($50 to $100)

21. National Testing Labs • Good for cases where comprehensive water test is needed due to multiple contaminants • Landfills • Industry • Pesticides • 1-800-458-3330 • 70 parameters (coliform, metals, inorganics, physical, THM’s, VOC’s) for $132 • Add pesticides, herbicides, PCB’s for an additional $30 • www.watercheck.com

22. Questions to Ask • Source of water? • Why is water a suspected cause? • Any recent changes? • Any odors, tastes, stains? • Herd effects? • Intake or milk production versus health problem • Have any cows been segregated on different water? • Any water test results? • Any treatment devices installed?