Water

Learn to use water more efficiently in the dairy shed and improve irrigation and pumping system productivity.

Water is often ignored in dairy herd nutrition. However, it is the first nutrient, and unrestricted access to clean, fresh drinking water is essential for dairy cow productivity, health and welfare. A cow’s body is between 60 to 80% water and milk is 87% water. Water is essential for regulation of body temperature, rumen fermentation, flow of feed through the digestive tract, nutrient absorption, metabolism and waste removal. Water also has structural and functional roles in all cells and all body fluids.

The following resources will help you better understand water for your farm.

GippsDairy Water

There are a number of water resources for dairy farmers in the GippsDairy region which cover the areas of emergency water, building a dam, finding groundwater and bore drilling.

Useful contacts

Southern Rural Water

Southern Rural Water provides information on licensing of water such as digging dams, bore construction and sharing water between properties.

Phone: 1300 139 510

Visit: Southern Rural Water

Visualising Victoria's Groundwater

This is an inter-operative web-geographic information systems (GIS) resource that federates groundwater data from disparate sources to assist groundwater researchers and help water managers make the correct choices for the sustainable use of a precious resource.

Visit: Visualising Victoria's Groundwater

Groundwater Hub

Groundwater Hub contains information and interactive maps relating to existing bores, aquifers and licensing. Users can download a copy of the Gippsland Groundwater Atlas which provides and illustrated guide to the aquifers across Gippsland.

Visit: Groundwater Hub

Emergency Water Supply points

Victoria has a networks of about 300 emergency water supply points which provide water for emergency stock and domestic purposes during severe dry seasonal conditions. Users should contact their local council, rural or urban water corporation about Emergency Water Supply points in their local area and to confirm the information on the below map.

Visit: Emergency Water Supply points

Bore Drilling

A list of drilling contractors.

Visit: Australian Drillers Association

Water carting and irrigation suppliers

Search via the Yellow Pages or a search engine to find water carters and irrigation suppliers.

Estimating dairy farm water requirements and storages

Agriculture Victoria has dairy shed water use statistics, licencing and resources to help dairy farmers determine the water requirements for their farm.

Visit: Water use in dairies and How much water do I need?

On farm water calculator tool and farm water planning resources

Visit: Farm Water Solutions and the Water Calculator

Phone: 03 5624 2218

Farm Water Quality Information Note

Visit: Water quality for farm water supplies

On-farm Water Reticulation Planning Guide

Visit: Designing your on-farm piped system

Download: The on-farm Water Reticulation Planning Guide (PDF)

Water and Irrigation

Dairy Australia has tools and resources to use water more efficiently in the dairy shed, determine stock water requirements, and improve the productivity of irrigation systems.

Visit: Water and irrigation Dairy Australia