1 / 27

Emergency Water Storage for Livestock and Crop Production

Emergency Water Storage for Livestock and Crop Production. Prepared April 2013 by Tom Glanville and Shawn Shouse, ISU Extension Agricultural Engineers. Drought in Iowa – Improving. March 5, 2013. April 9, 2013. ~44% of Iowa remains in severe to extreme drought (4/9/2013).

umeko
Download Presentation

Emergency Water Storage for Livestock and Crop Production

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Emergency Water Storagefor Livestock and Crop Production Prepared April 2013 by Tom Glanville and Shawn Shouse, ISU Extension Agricultural Engineers

  2. Drought in Iowa – Improving March 5, 2013 April 9, 2013 • ~44% of Iowa remains in severe to extreme drought (4/9/2013) • Even with normal rainfall, wells in some areas may not fully recover in 2013

  3. Streamflow in Iowa - Improving March 6, 2013 April 3, 2013 • Streamflow and topsoil moisture respond quickly to precipitation

  4. Shallow groundwater & wells in Iowa • Respond much more slowly to rainfall than topsoil & streams • Groundwater levels improving in NE Iowa …. remain low in NW Iowa • According to IDNR, some NW Iowa water systems are starting 2013 growing season with lower groundwater reserves than in 2012 April 3, 2013 March 6, 2013 http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/WaterQuality/WaterSummaryUpdate.aspx

  5. Drought Impacts on Wells • Many farms & Rural Water Systems rely on shallow groundwater • Shallow aquifers rely on normal precipitation to recharge them • During drought… groundwater declines...wells may not meet daily water demands Normal well output Reduced well output Normal water table Drought-affected water table

  6. Drought Impacts on Water Supply • Daily peak water demands increase (hot weather) • System capacity decreases (low groundwater levels) • Demand exceeds capacity….causing periods of inadequate system pressure & flow Water system capacity Flow Rate (gallons per minute) Water demand Midnight 6am Noon 6pm Midnight

  7. Stretching Drought Affected Water Systems • Improve overall water use efficiency (conserve water) • Reduce peak system demands….some Regional Rural Water systems now asking: • Livestock producers to install on-farm water storage to “even out” demands on the system • Crop producers to fill crop sprayers from private wells if possible • Example: If 8 daily 500 gallon sprayer fills are anticipated • Pumping/storing 7.5 gallons/minute during 9 hour “off-peak” period (9 PM - 6 AM) could supply 4050 gallons for sprayer fills the following day

  8. On-farm Water Storage • Improves ability of drought-stressed wells and rural water connections to meet daily water needs • Stores water at night when well or rural water capacity exceeds farm demands • Provides supplemental flow when peak demands exceed well or rural water capacity

  9. On-farm Water Storage to Meet Peak Demands Flow Rate (gallons per minute) Water system capacity Water demand Midnight 6am Noon 6pm Midnight Water in tank

  10. Emergency Water Storage Requirements • High capacity • 1,000’s of gallons needed for large poultry/livestock operations • Obtained/constructed/installed quickly • In response to sudden water shortage • Low cost • Probably used only during drought or other emergencies

  11. Options for Emergency Water Storage • Permanent • Semi-permanent (non-portable) • Temporary/portable

  12. Permanent Water Storage • Stand-alone underground concrete tank; or • Tank “basement” built beneath office of livestock facility (Note: Iowa DNR does not allow common wall between potable water and manure storage tanks) • Long lifetime • Expensive for short-term (drought) use • May be a good long-term investment by livestock operations using low-yield wells (typical in Southern Iowa)

  13. Underground concrete water storage2400-head Southern Iowa swine finishing operation • 14,000 gallon underground tank w ½ height shelter house for controls • Costs:~ $20,000 for tank & shelter and ~ $10,000 pumps, wiring, controllers, plumbing

  14. Semi-permanent Water Storage • Shallow “tank” constructed with bin rings, or small earthen “pond” • Seal with waterproof liner • Constructed relatively quickly (1-2 weeks) • Offer large capacity @ relatively low initial cost • Not portable • Weathering (sunlight/freezing) limits liner life • Open top • Expect airborne contamination…water OK for livestock, not for humans • Some water lost to evaporation

  15. Semi-permanent Storage Examples 15,000 gal capacity 36 ft dia X 2 ft deep 15,000 gal capacity 32 ft X 32 ft (surface) X 3 ft deep 2:1 wall side slope • Vinyl pond liners ~ $0.60 to $0.85 per square foot (12 to 36 mil thickness) • Underliner (geotextile) ~ $0.35 per square foot • Bin sheets ~ $12 per linear foot of circumference (for 20-36 foot dia.) • Excavation ~ $2.50 per cubic yard • 15,000 gallons: ~$3,500 above ground, $2,750 excavated • Above ground: $1000 + $0.15/gallon; Excavated: $1000 + $0.11/gallon

  16. Portable/Collapsible “Onion” Tanks • Self-supporting open-topped • Limited max capacity ... 6000-20,000 gal depending on brand • More expensive than semi-permanent options, but portable http://www.sei-ind.com/products/onion-tank

  17. Portable/Collapsible “Onion” Tanks • Covers available, but not sealed • Expect airborne contamination…water OK for livestock, NOT humans • Some water loss due to evaporation • Risk of spillage reported….especially if not positioned on flat site • Useful life? Significantly impacted by how carefully it is stored http://store.interstateproducts.com/products/Onion-Tanks

  18. Portable/Collapsible “Pillow” Tanks • Totally sealed, no evaporation or airborne contaminants • Stable, no water loss caused by tipping or bumping • Portable…can be installed indoors to reduce solar heat gain…..livestock prefer cool water • Useful life • Longer if installed indoors or under roof • Impacted by storage • Example dimensions • 10,000 gallons -- 23 ft x 21 ft x 3 ft • 20,000 gallons – 33 ft x 25 ft x 3.5 ft http://store.interstateproducts.com/water_bladders.htm http://www.water-storage-tank.com/pillowtank.html

  19. Example Costs for Portable & Semi-permanent Tanks • Note significant difference in prices among vendors of pillow/onion tanks. • Shop around to find best price • Search Web using search terms such as: pillow tank, onion tank, blivets, water bladder, emergency water storage, potable water bladder

  20. Background and Caveats • Mention of specific brands/prices is for educational purposes only and does not imply product endorsement by Iowa State University • Some vendors report 2-3 week delivery times …. contact suppliers for details • Onion/pillow prices as of March 2013 …. via informal phone/email survey • Note price difference among collapsible tank brands…..shop around for best price • Bin ring & lined pond costs estimated based on estimated component and excavation prices mentioned in slide # 11 • Costs estimates do not include pumps, controllers, or extension of piping and electrical service lines • Safety First ! Seek assistance from qualified electrical & plumbing contractors to help insure safe installation and physical protection of appropriately sized electrical circuits and plumbing lines.

  21. Estimating Costs • Regardless of type of emergency storage, all require additional: • Pump & control system • Piping & electrical power extensions • Prices will vary with site conditions & available equipment From well, rural water, or tanker pump Emergency storage To water distribution system Grounded & physically protected power circuit pump/pressure controller

  22. How Much Emergency Storage? • Depends on how it will be used • For livestock…suggest minimum of 2-3 days of water • Provides “cushion” of time to react to unanticipated problems • Well/pump failure • Sudden excessive demand on regional rural water system • Delays in water hauling services • Delays obtaining emergency storage components

  23. Approximate Daily Water Use by Beef Cattle(gallons per 100 head per day) Source: Water Requirements for Beef Cattle, University of Nebraska Extension Publication G2060, March 2011 http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/live/g2060/build/g2060.pdf NOTE: If available, operation-specific water meter data typically provide a better estimate than tabulated values

  24. Approximate Daily Water Use by Dairy Cattle(gallons per head per day) Source: Private Water Systems Handbook (5th edition), Midwest Plan Service, 2009 NOTE: If available, operation-specific water meter data typically provide a better estimate than tabulated values

  25. Approximate Daily Water Use by Swine(gallons per 100 pig spaces per day) Source: Special Edition REPORT: WATER WISE - Make Every Drop Count on Your Farm, National Pork Board, April 2012 http://www.pork.org/filelibrary/april2012.pdf

  26. Approximate Daily Water Use by Poultry(gallons per 1000 birds per day) Source: Dr. Hongwei Xin, Director -- Egg Industry Center NOTE: If available, operation-specific water meter data typically provide a better estimate than tabulated values

  27. Final Thoughts • Emergency storage can help a drought-impaired water source to meet peak daily water needs • All emergency storage alternatives require time to construct/install • Even flexible tanks may have 2-3 week delivery • Begin planning & component acquisition NOW before summer temperatures and water supply stresses reach problem levels

More Related