"Farrowing sows are fitter and eat better"

Despite using various agents, pig farmer Berton van de Ven had a much too high germ count in his water pipes and in the storage tank above the mash mixer. An installation by Watter brought the solution. 'If there is anything with the animals now, we know that poor water quality cannot be the cause.'

Together with his parents, Berton van de Ven runs a pig farm with 300 sows and 2300 fattening pigs in Uden, Brabant. They are constantly working to optimise the air, feed and water triangle.

Previously, they used a biological agent in the piglet shed to keep the tap water pure and in the fattening pig shed they added acid to the water to prevent contaminants. Together, this cost them about EUR 7.500 in resources every year.

Better water quality was increasingly becoming an 'action item'

Yet they had noticed for some time that the water quality was not optimal. 'We were sometimes shocked by the poor quality,' says Van de Ven. 'We had to clean the storage tank above the mash mixer quite often. There was often a greasy slime layer on the inside, with bacteria and fungi.' Better water quality was increasingly becoming an 'action item' for the pig farmers. While they were working on that, they read about Watter. They got in touch and had a Watter employee come over. 'From a conversation you never get dumber,' says Van de Ven. The entrepreneurs had Watter take a water sample. This showed that the germ counts were far too high. To be completely sure, they had the vet take the same sample. The result was exactly the same.

Trial provides clarity

Van de Ven then decided to install a trial setup by Watter. Soon, the results showed. 'The pipes and the water storage tank were clean. The animals also noticed that the water quality was much better,' says the pig farmer. 'We noticed that the farrowing sows were slightly fitter from then on. For example, they got up easier when feeding. They also eat better now.'

After the trial period, the choice was not difficult for the pig farmer. He decided to permanently install a Watter installation. Besides the better drinking water quality for his animals, he also finds it an advantage that the installation requires a lot less work than before. Maintenance of the installation is minimal: 'A bag of salt once every two or three weeks, that's all,' says Van de Ven. 'Other than that, it just works.'

Once, the unit malfunctioned. A Watter employee came immediately. 'It was solved very neatly and quickly,' says Van de Ven.

More peace of mind and fewer chemicals

Watter's installation gives him more peace of mind: 'We try to rule out as many risk factors as possible. If there is something with the animals now, it is excluded that poor water quality could be the cause.'

Moreover, he is happy with the annual savings of thousands of euros on the cost of resources to keep the water clean. Van de Ven: 'With that, the Watter system will pay for itself handsomely in a few years.'