The past few weeks have been an education on the importance of a sound water supply

As farmers we are always looking for good weather, but the prolonged dry weather since March has caused its own problems for many of us.

Lack of grass can be one problem, but a water shortage can be a bigger issue.

I have definitely gotten an education on wells and water pumping systems over the past few weeks.

It all started when I noticed the water troughs slow in filling and animals hanging around them for longer.

Then I observed the pump running for longer and taking longer to switch off. I wondered was the well going dry as it is only 146 feet deep. Or was the pump itself the problem?

I thought back to the summer of 2018 and while the well came under enormous pressure that summer it didn’t run dry.

It’s an old Auqadare pump that’s been there since the 1970s and at this stage it doesn’t owe us anything. It has probably pumped millions of litres of water in its lifetime.

We found that the pump was not airtight and its propeller was worn.

With the benefit of hindsight, I should have been more proactive and set about sorting the problem sooner, given the age of the pumping equipment and the high demand on supply.

Nothing lasts forever and maybe this problem could have been averted by having it replaced or upgraded last autumn when demand was not as high.

With the cost of farming today so high, sometimes we feel we have to get the last ounce of value out of everything.

For years we prided ourselves on have our own private well for the home farm.

I have access to a main water system on rented ground and it works quite well.

There is also a successful water scheme passing by the main entrance to the farm and while I never gave much thought to joining it, I should have joined up to have it as a backup plan.

It has to be said that the network of local authority and private water schemes around the country provide a great service to farms, businesses and private homes.

A lot of these schemes have had extra money invested in them over the last number of years on upgrading piping, pumps and expanding their service hinterland for new customers.

Back on our own farm, it took a few days between diagnosing the problem and getting a new pumping system installed.

Some of the days were quite hot and it took a bit of effort to keep the animals happy.

The vacuum tanker was called into action to draw water from a local river for the water troughs.

Quantity

It’s not until you see a cow and other livestock drinking in front of you that you can appreciate the quantity of water they need.

According to the Teagasc research, beef animals need 35-60 litres per day and higher if they are on a concentrated diet .

A dry or suckler cow needs 55 litres per day.

When water has been restricted, over-drinking or water toxicity can become a problem when the stock regain access to an unlimited water supply.

After some debate we decided to install an entire new system in the pump house.

The old equipment had lasted so long that I think it was worth sparing nothing on a new system the amount of demand for water needed on the farm.

We opted for a submersible pump into the well as this will be sufficient for the demand on the system.

All in all, it has been an education in water engineering for me. It has also been very time consuming.

I have now decided to connect to the local water scheme as it would be a great backup if there are future problems, especially if demand increases for the farm.

Also, I should look into rainwater harvesting off the sheds as it would be perfect for power washing or spraying.