A Comparison of Common Livestock Water Treatment Methods

Managing agricultural water effectively is crucial in livestock farming as it contributes to maintaining a healthy animal lifecycle and impacts the meat yield. There exist various methods to achieve this, including the utilization of different types of water treatment. These treatments include UV Sterilization, Reverse Osmosis, and Chemical Water Treatment.

UV Sterilization

The use of germicidal ultraviolet lamps to sterilize water for livestock is a speedy disinfection process that does not depend on chemicals or heat. Ultraviolet or UV energy falls between visible light and x-rays on the electromagnetic spectrum and is a type of unseen, short-wave radiation.

Microorganisms can be eliminated by UV energy. When UV radiation comes in contact with a cell, it infiltrates the external membrane, travels through the body, and disturbs the DNA to prevent proliferation. The utilization of UV radiation for this purpose does not cause any chemical modifications in water and does not introduce any substances into it except for energy.

The energy from UV rays is lethal to various microorganisms, such as viruses and bacteria, making it a highly effective technique for disinfecting water. There are numerous advantages to using UV sterilization as a livestock water treatment method:

• Super-fast reaction speed.
• The whole process can be accurately controlled.
• Cost-effective. The economic costs will be super low in the long run.
• Easy to use. It is easier to use a UV method than RO and chemical solutions.

The application of this approach involves the use of specialized low-pressure UV lamps that emit ultraviolet radiation at an ideal wavelength for disinfection without coming into contact with the water. These lamps offer a high level of effectiveness while consuming minimal amounts of energy.

Although UV sterilization is an effective water treatment method, it cannot guarantee complete elimination of microorganisms, and certain factors may impact its efficiency. These factors include the quality of water and the flowrate capacity of the UV unit. Moreover, there are limits to the effectiveness of UV sterilization.

It is necessary to maintain cleanliness of the UV lamp and replace it when necessary. A dirty or expired lamp will render the ultraviolet radiation useless. Additionally, UV sterilization is a point disinfectant, which implies that it can only eliminate bacteria at a specific point in a watering system and cannot provide residual protection downstream.

As a result, bacteria that manage to escape the treatment point can attach to the downstream piping and proliferate. Moreover, UV sterilization does not eliminate the bacteria cells, but rather converts them into pyrogens, which can serve as a food source for any surviving bacteria, in theory.

RO (Reverse Osmosis)

In the water treatment process of reverse osmosis (RO), impurities are eliminated by driving water through a semipermeable membrane. This membrane is made up of a thin film composite (TFC) that selectively permits hydrogen and oxygen molecules to pass through while blocking other substances.

The method employed here is called cross-flow filtration. The purified water that emerges on the other side of the TFC membrane is referred to as permeate, which can be utilized for livestock feed. The remaining water, which contains impurities and is not suitable for use, is called concentrate.

In certain RO techniques, the unutilized concentrate can be recycled back into the system for additional purification of water, but this can only be carried out for a limited number of cycles.

Reverse osmosis offers the following advantages:

• Clean up to 99% of the impurities.
• Energy-saving. A RO system consumers no energy.
• Low investment.
• Maintenance is easy.

Compared to UV sterilization, reverse osmosis is a slower process and necessitates frequent filter replacements, which can be expensive in the long run.

Chemical Water Treatments

Livestock water treatment involves the addition of a decontamination agent and disinfectant to water supplies used for livestock. Chlorine dioxide is one such treatment that can be used to purify the water. This chemical compound is made up of one chlorine atom and two oxygen atoms and is known for its antimicrobial properties, including the disinfection of water. It can effectively eliminate a variety of bacteria, including e-coli, crypto, and giardia, even in small concentrations. Additionally, it can be utilized to treat various water sources such as surface water, boreholes, streams, and springs.

Chlorine dioxide has been utilized in water treatment since the 1950s. However, in the 1970s, hydrogen peroxide emerged as another efficient chemical for livestock water treatment. This widely-used antimicrobial agent serves as the foundation for an effective water treatment method, with silver-stabilized hydrogen peroxide being the standard treatment approach.

Silver peroxide offers some benefits as a chemical disinfectant:

• No residual toxicity
• No danger for both human and animal
• Its function is stable.

Compared to chlorine-based products, hydrogen peroxide is less harmful to the environment. However, it is important to note that silver and silver nitrates can be highly toxic to plants and marine life.

Why Livestock Water Treatment is Important

Drinking water of poor quality can result in livestock consuming less water, which can negatively impact their overall health. Additionally, invasive bacteria can have an impact on the nutrient content of the end-product.

If the water supply for livestock is not properly maintained and treated, it can lead to disease and a loss of condition, resulting in lower production rates. Effective treatment of livestock water is important not only for animal welfare, but also for economic reasons.

To learn more about how Puritor can provide an advanced, efficient and effective solution for livestock water treatment, please visit Puritor.com or Contact Us.