Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Is your dam water valuable?

Is your dam water valuable?..... Stop it evaporating, before you use it with one of several new products that finally seem to be showing some cost effectiveness in open water storage.

The products are generally suitable for both domestic [including public utilities dams] and stock / irrigation water, in both large and small areas.

Aquatain is a silicon based product that is a silicone liquid and applied initially, then around every 2 weeks as a small top up, but this is partially weather dependent, while the other product Watersavr is a powder, normally applied daily. Aquatain forms a thin silicone layer on the surface, effectively preventing evaporation while the Watersavr also forms a monomer layer which binds at the surface that can break and reform.

Results from both indicate some real $$ savings in evaporated water from storage areas, with figures from Aquatain showing a gain of about 8 times the cost for the application. This will also be dependent on the value of the water saved, or the cost of replacing it, for example if used domestically and water needed to be carted in, as is the case in some areas of southern Australia.

While this is the wet season and water is plentiful, it is not always that way by August or October. These products may or may not be cost effective in the NT, as our water costs are rarely as high as many other areas. But they will be an option to ensure water lasts a bit longer in a paddock dam and that might just ensure better feed utilisation in the paddock.

Details of both products are on the internet at the following links:

Aquatain
http://www.ultimatefertilisers.com.au/Aquatain.pdf

Watersavr
http://www.flexiblesolutions.com/products/watersavr/effectiveness_tests.shtml

As agricultural advisors we can assist you with developing a sensible water management program with either product.

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