Water is an important nutrient for pigs. Pigs drink more than twice as much as they eat. Water is needed to regulate body temperature and promotes digestion. However, at many pig farms, water quality is not up to scratch. Low water quality increases the risk of diseases and infections. In addition, water quality affects the medication administered through the water.

Low water quality

Water quality depends on chemical and bacteriological contamination. Pig farmers with their own source are required by IKB regulations to have the water tested annually. This involves taking samples from the source, and not from the drinking points in the barn. This often does not give a good impression of the water quality as it is drunk by the pigs. In the pipes, from the source to the drinking points, the water quality can deteriorate far. Therefore, using tap water instead of spring water does not necessarily provide the solution for improving quality. In addition, the pipes in the barn are often made of PVC or tyleen, which has a high risk of biofilm formation. As a result, there is a lot of bacteriological contamination in the water at the drinking point. The use of a break tank also increases the chances of deteriorating water quality. A break tank is an installation that prevents water from the barn from flowing back into the water supply system. This installation is mandatory when using tap water. If not properly maintained and cleaned, many yeasts, fungi and bacteria can grow here. The micro-organisms can be carried along by the water, causing diseases and infections.

Medication in drinking water

Besides the fact that diseases and infections can be spread through the water, water quality is also important when additives are added to the water. Many pig farmers use the drinking water to administer medication. Several factors can affect the effectiveness of the medication. The stability of the medication can decrease due to the material of the pipes, added disinfectants and pH regulators, among others. For example, the antibiotic, amoxicillin, disintegrates faster when in contact with metal tubing than when in contact with plastic tubing. As the medication falls apart, the concentration becomes lower. As a result, pigs do not drink the right concentration.

Another problem with medication in drinking water is the risk of the formation of resistant bacteria. This happens when biofilm grows in the pipe. Within the biofilm, on the side where it adheres to the pipe, a gradient of low antibiotic concentration forms. This allows these bacteria to develop resistance, which can then be transferred to other bacteria. Biofilm also additionally causes a narrowing of part of the pipe. This leads to a lower antibiotic dosage in this part of the water system. As a result, pigs receive a lower concentration of medication than intended, making the treatment less effective. Likewise, bacteria in the pig can build up resistance due to the reduced concentration.

Advice

To carry out medication administration via drinking water as efficiently as possible, a good piping system is very important. It is important to be aware of the drinking water quality. Here, it is good to monitor the water both at the source and at the drinking points. It is also important to combat biofilm formation. Some piping systems have bends and/or capped sections. These sections in the pipes have a high risk of biofilm formation. To combat this formation, the water can be disinfected. When medication is then administered through the water, the pipes are clean. As a result, biofilm formation does not affect the concentration of the medicine. It is advisable to temporarily stop adding disinfectants while adding the medication. This will prevent the disinfectants from reacting with the medication.

Disinfection

Keeping pipes clean is a good way to improve the efficiency of medication and save money. This can be done, for example, by adding chlorine dioxide to the water. However, this is a toxic substance. A sustainable alternative to this is hypochlorous acid, a safe agent that is highly effective against bacteria, yeasts and fungi. This disinfectant can be produced on site by our Watter system. All that is needed is water and salt. The water and salt are converted into hypochlorous acid by electrolysis. The so-called Watter Disinfection Solution is an environmentally friendly agent authorised for the disinfection of animal drinking water. It effectively removes biofilm from the pipes. This keeps the pipes clean and achieves higher efficiency when you administer antibiotics to your pigs via drinking water.