Page 17 - November 2005 The Game

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper The Game, November 2005 17
THEACIDTEST.......AND OTHERTHINGS
What's lurking in your horse's drinking water? Take a closer look at your water supply to find out.
It's important to test your water supply periodically for bacterial contamination, especially if your farm is beyond the bus routes and drawing from a well or cistern rather than a filtered municipal water supply. But bacteria aren't the only concern. The mineral content of your water can also influence its taste, smell, and palatability for your horses.
Your local lab should be able to test your water for levels of these crucial minerals: calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, sodium, chloride, lead, sulfates, and nitrates. (Nitrate contamination is particularly common on horse farms; its likely source, your manure pile). Concentrations of these minerals, if sufficiently high, can also have an impact on your horses’ dietary balance, since levels of one mineral in the gut can influence their ability to absorb another.
Iron is a mineral which is often found in high concentrations in well water. Below the surface, it may be dissolved in the water in the form of ferrous bicarbonate, which is colour- less, but exposure to the air, or heating the water, can change its chemical structure to ferric hydroxide, which can stain your water a red or rusty color and leave it with a metallic taste. Iron is also sometimes accompanied by "iron bacteria", which consume iron in the water and, in the process, exude a rust-coloured slime which coats the insides of your pipes and fixtures. If iron bacteria are present in your well, you may be looking at total, repeated disinfection procedures.
Calcium and/or magnesium salts are to blame if your water is "hard". Though hard water (up to a level of
about 100 parts per million of salts) isn't a major problem in the barn, your horses may not enjoy much lather when they get a bath, and washing leg wraps may also be a struggle. At high concentrations, magnesium salts have been known to trigger mild diarrhea.
Lead is a potentially toxic mineral which can easily find its way into the water supply. Old lead pipes and soldering frequently increase lead concentrations in water to dangerous levels. The effects of high lead levels are less well understood in horses than in humans, but it's definitely best avoided. Even new copper pipes contain some small amount of lead in their soldering, though the amount released into the water can be controlled by making sure the pH of the water doesn't become too acidic (which can cause pipes to corrode). A calcite filter is an effective way to decrease the corrosiveness of well water and thus lower those potentially dangerous lead levels.
Speaking of pH, an acidity/alkalinity test is another frequently performed water analysis. Anything below pH 6.5 is considered acidic, and can contribute to the corrosion of your pipes. (Acidic water isn't necessarily as nasty as it sounds, however -- a can of carbonated cola is 10 to 100 times more acidic than water with a pH of 5.0.) On the other hand, if your
water tests at pH
8.5 or higher, it's
alkaline, which
means you
probably have
crusty mineral
deposits on your
pipes and
fixtures.
(Alkaline water is
also hard water,
as a rule.) pH
levels in water
usually fluctuate
very little over
time; a sudden
change may indi-
cate damage to your well, or below- ground corrosion.
Consider testing your water at least once every three years for pH, nitrates, and total dissolved solids, or TDS. TDS is a measure of the solids dissolved in your water, and high levels (over 1000 parts per million) are generally linked with water which has an offensive smell, taste, or colour. It may also contribute to health problems. The former Equine Research Centre at Guelph noted in a study of water purity at Ontario farms in the 1990’s, that at TDS levels over 1000 parts per million, equine diarrhea was a common complaint.
Turbidity is a related water test, which can help you identify the suspended solids in your water which make it look cloudy. Mud, algae, and iron are three likely culprits.
Testing for bacterial contamination should be a given for most wells, but in addition to that, consider:
• if you live in an agricultural area where crops and/or livestock (such as cattle or swine) are raised, test for pH, nitrates, and possibly pesticides;
• if your water has an unpleasant
smell, test for pH, copper, lead, iron, zinc, sodium, chloride, TDS, and hydrogen sulfide;
• if your water is cloudy and frothy, test for turbidity, TDS, and detergents;
• If you live near a road salt storage site, a street which is heavily salted in winter, or the ocean shore, test for sodium and chloride levels.
So what should you do if your water tests reveal an imbalance or contamination? Take action by:
• eliminating the source of the contamination (which might be as simple as re-locating the manure pile);
• improve the protection for your well, giving it a weather-proof, sanitary seal and eliminating access for debris, insects, and rodents;
• treat the water with chemicals or filtration to improve its quality, if that's what your lab recommends;
• or, if all else fails, consider drilling a new well.
The lab at which you have your water testing done is your best source for specific recommendations. Consult them with any concerns you may have.
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Dave Landry Photo
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