Prepared April 2013 by Tom Glanville and Shawn Shouse, ISU Extension Agricultural Engineers

Emergency Water Storagefor Livestock and Crop Production

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Drought in Iowa – Improving

• ~44% of Iowa remains in severe to extreme drought (4/9/2013)

March 5, 2013 April 9, 2013

• Even with normal rainfall, wells in some areas may not fully recover in 2013

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Streamflow in Iowa - Improving• Streamflow and topsoil moisture respond quickly to precipitation

March 6, 2013 April 3, 2013

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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

March 6, 2013 April 3, 2013

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/WaterQuality/WaterSummaryUpdate.aspx

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

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Drought-affected water table

Normal well output

Normal water table

Reduced well output

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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

Flow

Rat

e(g

allo

ns p

er m

inut

e)

Water system capacity

Water demand

Midnight 6am Noon 6pm Midnight

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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

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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

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On-farm Water Storage to Meet Peak Demands

Midnight 6am Noon 6pm Midnight

Water system capacity

Water demand

Water in tank

Flo

w R

ate

(gal

lons

per

min

ute)

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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

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Options for Emergency Water Storage

• Permanent• Semi-permanent (non-portable)• Temporary/portable

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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)

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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

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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

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Semi-permanent Storage Examples

• 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

15,000 gal capacity 36 ft dia X 2 ft deep

15,000 gal capacity32 ft X 32 ft (surface) X 3 ft deep2:1 wall side slope

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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

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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

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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://www.water-storage-tank.com/pillowtank.html

http://store.interstateproducts.com/water_bladders.htm

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Example Costs for Portable & Semi-permanent Tanks

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 350000

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

f(x) = 0.11 x + 1000

f(x) = 0.15 x + 1000

f(x) = 0.514314285714286 x + 9257

f(x) = 0.47924 x + 1515

f(x) = 0.586106557377049 x + 1295.45901639344

f(x) = 0.331527906976744 x + 3352.82558139535

f(x) = 0.42 x + 2492

f(x) = 0.301407160699417 x + 839.787676935887

f(x) = 0.188255102040816 x + 1705.11224489796

Onion Co #1Lin-ear (O-nion Co #1)Pillow Co #1Linear (Pil-low Co #1)

Capacity (gallons)

Estim

ated

or R

epor

ted

Cost

($)

• 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

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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.

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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

Emergency storage

To water distribution system

pump/pressure controller

Grounded & physically protected power circuit

pump

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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

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Approximate Daily Water Use by Beef Cattle(gallons per 100 head per day)

Weight 70 degrees F 90 degrees F400 lb 580 950600 lb 870 1430800 lb 1070 17401000 lb 1260 2060Lactating cows 1690 1820Mature bulls 1260 2060

Source: Water Requirements for Beef Cattle, University of Nebraska Extension Publication G2060, March 2011http://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

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Approximate Daily Water Use by Dairy Cattle(gallons per head per day)

Type gallons/dayMilking cow 30-50Dry cow 12-30

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

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Approximate Daily Water Use by Swine(gallons per 100 pig spaces per day)

Production Phase Feed/water type Normal Dry, arid climate

Nursery dry/nipple 149 118

Wean-finish dry feed/nipple 136

Wean-finish dry feed/cup 148

Wean-finish wet/dry 102

Wean-finish wet/dry & cup 137

Grow-finish dry feed/nipple 233 246

Grow-finish dry feed / cup 115

Grow-finish wet/dry 125

Grow-finish wet/dry & cup 144

Gestation - Farrowing wet/dry trough – dry feed /nipple 567 1016

Gilt development wet/dry trough 143

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

Approximate Daily Water Use by Poultry(gallons per 1000 birds per day)

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Age/type 70 degrees F

90 degrees F

6-wk broilers 44 728-wk broilers 56 81Adult white leghorn layers

46 57

Source: Dr. Hongwei Xin, Director -- Egg Industry Center

NOTE: If available, operation-specific water meter data typically provide a better estimate than tabulated values

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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