Use of Water in Typical Northwest German Agricultural Activities

Water – A Combining Element

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Use of Water in Typical Northwest German Agricultural Activities

Questions Business 1 (cows) Business 2 (horticulture)
1. What do you use water for? Drinking supply for the animals, as well as cleaning of the milking parlour, barn and equipment. They use it to water the plants and to clean the green houses.
2. How much water do you use? Per day 10.000 litres.
Per year 3.650.000 litres.
3. Where does the water come from? Earlier and now? Now:
From the “OOWV”, the regional water supplier.

Earlier:
From wells and rain cisterns.

They pump water from a private rainwater pond.
4. Is the water price as high as in a normal household? Yes, but they do not have to pay sewage charges.
5. Do you use drinking water or rainwater? Just drinking water. They only use rainwater because the pond has always supplied enough water.
6. Where does the used water go to? The water goes into the manure silo and is then driven to the country. The water is collected in collecting basins under the plant tables. The unused water flows back into the pond and is reused later.
7. Is the water reusable? Yes, it is used as part of the manure again. Yes, it is reused. First the quantity of fertilisers in the water is measured and then it is adjusted to the needed quantity of fertilisers.
8. How do you try to safe water? We are repairing leaks in the pipe. Therefore, a boiling water cleaning system was installed, which cleans the milk pipes without any detergents. This water can then cool down and be reused as drinking water for the cows. Yes, it is reused (see above).
9. What pollutants end up in the groundwater? Nitrogen and Phosphorus only reach the groundwater if too much manure is brought onto the fields. But there are strict monitoring systems to prevent this. They collect the unused water in collecting basins and then reuse it.