With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.

Most of us are aware of the vital role water plays in our health and wellbeing. Water is essential for humans, plants, and animals. Here we’ll delve into this matter a little more deeply and discuss the impact of water quality on farms.

Crops:

Sunlight, air, and water are all essential for all plants, including crops. Different types of crops require different nutrient levels and soil, but all need good quality water. If the water quality is poor, the overall health of the plants is compromised, leading to slow growth, poor aesthetics, and eventually death.

Several aspects of water quality, including pH, alkalinity, and soluble salts, can impact crops.

High levels of soluble salts can injure the root systems, which interferes with nutrient uptake. The salts can also build up in the leaves, causing the edges to dry out or appear burned.

High alkalinity adversely affects the soil pH, which can also interfere with nutrient uptake, leading to deficiencies.

Animals:

Water quality issues are not restricted to agricultural farms. Studies have shown that high quality water is crucial for dairy cattle. Common water issues such as chloride, nitrates, sulfates, and excess iron can affect the health of the cow and interfere with milk production. These contaminants can also impact young calves, which are particularly vulnerable.

It is also important to note that cows taste water like us. So, if the water has a bad taste, the cow will be reluctant to drink, increasing the risk of dehydration and decreased appetite. Dairy cows require up to thirty gallons of water each day, depending on their weight, stage of milk production, and age. When the weather is warmer, the water requirements can almost double.

Irrigation:

There are several methods of irrigation that are used to supply water to the crops or land. Flood or furrow irrigation involves digging trenches to be filled with water, which is more common in less developed areas of the world. Drip irrigation uses pipes with small holes allowing water to be slowly dripped on to the plant, roots, and stems. These pipes are traditionally stored slightly above the ground. Spray irrigation requires large machinery that sprays water over the area. This distributes water in a similar way to rainfall, but the water can evaporate before it reaches the root systems. Additionally, in strong winds, there is the possibility that some plants may be overwatered, while others lack water.

Whichever method of irrigation is used, the water quality will impact its effectiveness directly. When the water contains suspended solids, the valves, nozzles, and pipes can become clogged. Suspended solids, such as soil, sand, leaves, and other organic matter, are very common, so water filtration is necessary to eliminate this potential problem.

Pesticides:

Farmers use pesticides to protect crops and animals from harmful insects. There are different categories of pesticides, including insect, rodent, plant, and bacterial, so each is used to address a specific threat.

Water quality has a direct impact on the performance of pesticide products. Contaminants can interact with the pesticide compromising its effectiveness. When water quality is particularly poor, the farmer may need to reapply the pesticide treatment. For this reason, water treatment systems are used to enhance yields and maximize cost efficiency.

Common Contaminants:

There are some common contaminants in water supplies around the country that can affect both homes and farms. This includes:

  • Mercury: Mercury is found in nature, but it can also be produced by human activities, including burning fossil fuels. Exposure to mercury can cause organ damage and affect a developing fetus.
  • Lead: There is no safe exposure level for lead. Unfortunately, lead cannot be smelled, tasted, or seen, so the only way to determine if your water supply contains lead is to have it laboratory tested.
  • Chlorine: Chlorine is often added to water supplies to disinfect the water and eliminate bacteria and viruses. Unfortunately, even trace amounts of chlorine can leave a “swimming pool” odor and taste that makes it very unpalatable.
  • Chloramine: Chloramine is an alternative disinfectant for water supplies, and it is derived from ammonia. Unfortunately, it can alter the smell and taste of your drinking water.
  • Chromium-6: Often referred to as hexavalent chromium, this industrial chemical is a known carcinogen. It has not only been linked to an increased risk of developing cancer, but reproductive issues, asthma, and other severe health issues.
  • Sediment: A high sediment level often causes cloudiness in water. This is not only unpalatable, but can increase the chances of a gastrointestinal issue.

What’s the Solution?

Since water quality is so crucial to farm activities, it is important that farms have a water treatment system. The most effective is reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis can remove up to 99% of contaminants. The process involves four basic steps:

  1. Water is pressurized and passed through a particle filter to remove impurities such as sediment, sand, and salt.
  2. The water is then passed through an activated carbon filter to trap contaminants and minerals such as mercury, copper, chlorine, and pesticides. These two stages are considered the pre filtration stage.
  3. After pre filtration, the water is forced through the semipermeable RO membrane. The membrane contains holes that are approximately one micron wide. To put this into perspective, human hair has a diameter of approximately 100 microns. This ensures that any other contaminants are trapped by the membrane, and only 99% pure water remains.
  4. Finally, the removed contaminants are flushed away, and the treated water is directed to a storage tank.

Water is a crucial nutrient for plants, animals, crops, and wildlife, and the quality of the water matters, particularly on a farm.

Good water quality can increase pesticide performance, improve the overall plant health, and provide high quality drinking water for any animals. This will increase the overall productivity of the farm, easily covering the costs of the water treatment.

If you would like to learn more about the water treatment options for your farm, home, or business, be sure to speak to an experienced water treatment specialist. Your technician will test your water to determine contaminant levels, before guiding you through the treatment options best suited to your water’s characteristics.