Water consumption measuring tool offers dairy farm savings

With water accounting for up to 1p/litre of milk produced, dairy farmers stand to make significant savings by footprinting consumption.

By measuring and monitoring on-farm water consumption by animals, producers can identify areas where use is above average, says Alltech E-CO2.

The company has developed an assessment tool for farmers to calculate total water consumption for every litre of milk produced.

The Aqua-print water footprinting tool calculates consumption, taking into account factors such as the number and weight of animals on farm, grazing periods, milk production figures, milk characteristics, milking machine management protocols and available milk storage capacity.

Accredited by the Carbon Trust, it produces a water consumption footprint and report for farmers.

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They can use these measures to benchmark their performance against the industry and, if necessary, take action to improve efficiency.

“We know a cow requires between five and seven litres of water to produce a litre of milk, and availability of a clean supply is an essential prerequisite to efficient production,” says Ben Braou, joint business manager at Alltech E-CO2.

However, studies show the least water-efficient farms use three times the average.

“This suggests there is scope to improve water efficiency on some units. By doing so these farms will cut cost of production and avoid unnecessary waste of a valuable resource,” says Mr Braou.

“The ability to maintain tight control of inputs is essential in modern dairy farming, and water is an input – with an associated cost – just like feed, fertiliser or fuel.”