Step 2: Avoidance
Can you use less water? Try to see where you can avoid using water in the first place. The use of alternative techniques may eliminate water use altogether.
In winter, do you drain down and close off all lengths of pipe that are not in use?
Prevents freezing, bursts and overflowing which waste money
Do you insulate pipes properly?
Lag all exposed pipework within 750mm of ground level and also pipework within a chamber. Prevents freezing, bursts and extra work
Do you have stop taps and drain valves at each tee on the farm distribution system?
This will enable lengths of mains to be shut off and drained down when not in use
Are water troughs installed properly?
Fix all troughs and pipework securely. Guard ball cock mountings to prevent damage from animals. If trough is not level it may overflow. Check all water troughs regularly
Do you read the water Meters frequently?
If you detect an unexpected increase in water flow, it is probably a leak.
Do you read the water Meters at night?
Night flow should be minimal. A brisk flow could indicate a leak.
Do you replace worn ball valve seatings with new seats?
Do you know how to locate a leak?
Use stop taps to isolate lengths of water pipes step by step. When the unexpected flow stops you have found the leak
Can you use a 'Sounding Rod' to listen for leaks?
Noise means water is flowing. If the noise stops when the stop tap is turned off, then the leak is downstream of the tap.
Have you plans of all farm pipelines?
In the event of a large pipe burst, readily available plans of the pipeline system can speed up repairs and reduce costs. Position of pipes, fittings and types of material should be noted.
