Planning Livestock Watering Systems

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Planning Livestock Watering Systems

• Howard Moechnig
• Natural Resources Conservation Service

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Outline

• Objectives
• Water
• Pumps
• Delivery system
• Drinking facilities
• Engineering standards, design, and plans

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Objectives

• To understand some of the basics of planning and
  designing livestock watering systems
• To become familiar with components of livestock
  watering systems
• To become familiar with Livestock Watering
  Systems Job Investigation
• To become familiar with design of a simple
  livestock watering system

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Water
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Water

• Sources
• Planning considerations

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Sources of Water

• Spring
• Stream
• Pond
• Lake
• Well

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Spring
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Stream
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Pond
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WATER SOURCE MIGHT BE A DAM - DUGOUT
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Most of the time water will be supplied from a
new well or existing well. With luck, the
landowner, well driller, or pump installer will
have the Well Drillers Report. This lists the
depth, age, delivery rate, drawdown depth, casing
and screen materials. It is a good design
starting point.The first of many judgement
calls is the age and condition of the well. The
well must be good enough to justify spending
taxpayer money on a pipeline, it should equal
pipe practice life.
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F ROST FREE
HYDRANTS
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Water Planning Considerations

• Quantity
• Quality
• Plan for primary watering system as well as a
  back-up or contingency method of watering

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Water Quantity

• Rule of thumb
• 15 gal/1000 pounds of herd weight

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Water Quality

• Nutrients
• Pesticides
• Sediments
• Salts

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Pumps
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Pump Planning Considerations

• Source
• Quantity
• Access to power

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Access to Power

• Easiest to design for and to use when electricity
  is readily available
• If not available, alternative pumps need to be
  used

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Pumps

• Electric - 120/240 volt
• Electric - solar, submersible or floating
• Electric - battery
• Compressed air
• Piston pump - normally windmill driven

• Gasoline powered transfer pump
• Pasture pump - nose pump
• Sling pump
• Hydraulic ram pump

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Submersible Pump
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Solar Pump
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SOLAR PUMPS - High electric service costs may
force options. Wind and solar systems should
have larger storage tanks than electric or fuel,
or a backup system and daily OM checks.
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WIRING AND SAFETY - As with many other things, we
are not the experts. However, we should know and
inform the cooperator of requirements. A
certified pump installer/electrician can be
expected to do it right, but the landowner
probably cannot. If not done properly, the pump
can be a danger to humans and animals. Liability
rests with the landowner.
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Solar Powered Pumps

• Can operate in remote locations does not have
  to be hooked into the grid
• Low maintenance
• Can pump for long distances and can lift water
  quite high
• Variety of configurations available
• Expensive
• Not easily portable
• 3 day water reserve needed

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Windmill

• Can power a generator, piston pump, or air
  compressor
• Storage for 3 -day reserve is necessary

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Pasture Pump
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Pasture Pump

• Simple, economical
• Can be moved to other water source
• No storage required
• No power required
• Animals must be trained
• Can pump less than 300 feet distance
• Cannot lift more than 30 feet
• Small animals cannot operate it

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Sling Pump
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Sling Pump

• Can operate in remote locations
• Low maintenance
• Can pump long distances
• Can lift water up to 80 feet
• Low cost
• Easily portable
• Requires wind or water to operate
• May be damaged by flood waters

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Hydraulic Ram Pump
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Hydraulic Ram Pump
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Hydraulic Ram Pump
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HYDRAULIC RAMS- Energy (head) from flowing water
boosts a small amount of water to higher
elevations. No outside energy is used.
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Hydraulic Ram Pumps

• Economical and reliable to operate
• Can be used in remote locations
• Can lift water up to 250 feet and for long
  distances
• Not portable, must be anchored
• Must protect from frost
• Overflow water must be removed from the area of
  the pump
• Can be costly

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Summer use allows you more flexible ways to
water. Whether it is a solar, wind, fuel,
electric, or even ram powered, the biggest key
to success is daily monitoring. OM on water
systems is very critical.
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Delivery Systems
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Delivery System Planning Considerations

• Elevation
• Distance
• Existing water systems
• Seasonal vs. year-around

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Elevation

• 1 psi 2.31 feet of elevation
• Lack of pressure can occur going uphill
• Excessive pressure can occur going downhill

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Distance

• Friction losses can significantly reduce flow in
  the pipe
• Friction losses are dependent on length of
  pipeline and pipe diameter

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Existing Water Systems

• Maximize use of existing water system
• Account for condition
• Flow reading can reveal capacity and condition of
  system
• Can be restriction

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Flow meter
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Example
Pump curve Pressure Flow rate (psi)
(gpm) 10 8 20
7 30 6 40 5
50 4
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Delivery System Types

• Hauling
• Pipeline
• Gravity from a nurse tank
• Pressure from a pump
• Above ground installations are most common, but
  requiring draining prior to freeze-up
• Frost-free systems require buried pipelines
• Depth depends on location
• Soils considerations are important

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Anything above frost depth, that is not
completely drained, will break (HDPE is the only
exception).
P.S. 516 Pipeline requires 6 feet if the pipeline
will be used year-around.
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SYSTEM COST IS A BIG FACTOR FOR
DECISIONMAKERS. LARGE TANKS FOR STORAGE CAN BE
VERY EXPENSIVE. LOW YIELD WELLS OR UNRELIABLE
POWER SOURCES ARE USUALLY THE ONLY REASONS TO
DESIGN A LARGE STORAGE TANK.
GRAVITY FLOW CAN BE FROM ELEVATED TANK OR JUST
HIGH GROUND ( FREEZING IS A FACTOR)
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Pipeline

• PVC
• Steel
• HDPE

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HDPE Pipe Strength

• 160 psi PS
• 200 psi PS
• As pipe temperature increases, the pipe loses
  strength

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HDPE Pipe Standards

• ASTM D2239 PE 3408 (Inside Diameter Controlled)
• ASTM D3035 PE 3408 (Outside Diameter Controlled)
• AWWA C-901 PE 3408 (American Water Works Assn.)

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Installation

• HDPE expands and contracts 2-3 feet per 100 feet
  with temperature changes
• Provide slack in pipeline when installing
• Recommend laying out pipeline during the warmest
  part of the day and connecting during the coolest
  part of the day

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HDPE - 160 PSI OR HEAVIER TO FUSE JOINTS Pipe
must be outside diameter controlled!
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Fittings

• Check Valve
• Hydrants
• Air Release Valves (ARV)
• In-line Drains (ID)
• Drains (D)
• Pipeline Splits (PS)
• Shut-Off Valves (S)
• Pressure Reducing Valves (PRV)

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Fittings Requirements

• For above ground, use brass or plastic fittings
• For buried pipeline, use brass fittings or
  compression type plastic fittings

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In-Line Drain
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Fittings
Compression Fitting
Insert Fitting with Clamp
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Butt Fusion
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Butt Fusing a Tee
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Electrofusing a Tee
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Prefabricated Tee
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There is a valve made for every situation. The
problem is that only certain valves are common
enough to be affordable. Off the shelf, like
from Menards, cost a fraction of special valves.
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CHECK VALVES - Stop water from flowing back.
Used on pressure tanks, inline, pump intakes, for
backflow prevention in potable systems. Use
non- slam check valves on large diameter pipe
to prevent water hammer.
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F ROST FREE
HYDRANTS
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Air Release Valve
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AIR RELEASE VALVE - Use at critical high
locations. Ball drops, allowing air out until
water lifts ball and lever. Hydrants also work
(manual operation). Use quality only.
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Air Release Valve(Air Vent)
AIR RELEASE VALVE - Use at critical high
locations. Ball drops, allowing air out until
water lifts ball and lever. Hydrants also work
(manual operation). Use quality only.
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All pipe, appurtenances above frost need freeze
protection. Anti-freeze is not usually very
practical. That leaves either heating in cold
weather (heat tape) or voiding the water. A drain
valve at low areas, with pipe graded to drain, is
the most common. Some owners prefer a capped
riser they pump the water out from (irrigation or
larger pipelines).
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Pipeline Split
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BALL VALVES - These control valves are generally
the most expensive, and the longest lived. A
good bronze ball valve should last a lifetime of
normal use. They feature a positive shutoff with
¼ turn. They are good when partial flow
(throttling) is needed. Should be specified if
practical - low turbulence, friction loss.
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Pressure Reducing Valve
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PRESSURE REDUCING VALVE (PRV) - Rough topography
and long pipelines may need a PRV (pipe strength
dictates).
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Exposed valves, appurtenances, and pipe must be
protected from livestock and vandals. One good
practice is a shutoff valve on each line, so they
can be shut down when not being used - and so
line maintenance can be done without shutting
down the whole system. Open valves can be
expensive.
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Pressure Tanks

• Tank
• Switch
• Water hammer
• Storage
• Relationship of tank size to pump capacity
• Pump cycling

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Pressure Tank
Pressure Switch
Shut-Off Valve
Pressure Reducing Valve
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PRESSURE TANKS - Tanks made of fiberglass or
other non-corrosive materials can be direct
buried if strong enough or protected from
crushing by earth loads. Metal tanks can be
wrapped or coated to prevent rust. Livestock do
not need huge pressure tanks as a rule, when they
drink, the pump runs continuous until they quit
(tank helps for small pipe leaks and valve drips
- water is incompressible).
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TYPICAL PRESSURE PUMP - TANK SYSTEM
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Pressure switch
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Common Pressure Switch Settings

• 20/40 psi
• 30/50 psi
• 40/60 psi

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Drinking Facilities
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Drinking Facilities Planning Considerations

• Paddock size and layout
• Herd size
• Kind and class of livestock

Will the livestock come to the tank as
individuals or as a herd?
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What size tank do I need?

• Large tank
• Large herd
• Large paddocks
• Rough terrain
• Slow delivery of water
• Small tank
• Small herd
• Small paddocks
• Rapid delivery of water

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Kind and class of livestock

• Portable tanks are more pertinent for docile
  animals (Sheep and Dairy Cows)
• Large tanks are needed for more aggressive
  animals (Bison)

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Tank/Trough

• Portable tank
• Stationary tank
• Frost-proof tank
• Tank assembly (float, valve, hook-up hose)
• Tank connection (quick couplers)

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Frost-Proof Waterer
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