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Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Farm Pasture Water Pumping System

Agriculture Canada and the Alberta Agriculture staff have conducted many studies over the years to help provide proven research for farmers to help them improve productivity of farm operations.

A great example of this support is the Windmill Water Pumping study that Alberta Agriculture staff worked on in the early 90's. Four cattle watering projects were conducted in the Edmonton area where air-operated windmill water pumps were set up at four farms in the Redwater, Westlock and Athabasca areas. The windmill water pumps were used to supply water to cattle at three pond sites and a creek.

Koenders Windmills Inc. with facilities in Englefeld, Saskatchewan, manufactured the pumps and windmills.

These projects were supported by both the local farmers and local municipalities who were concerned over the destructive impact livestock has when they are watering directly from farm ponds and other natural surface water sources such as creeks.

Of particular interest to the participants was the water pumping capacity, reliability, performance and improvement in water quality by the addition of these automated windmill water pumping systems. The farm ponds were all fenced off to prevent the livestock from directly entering the water.

The set up costs for such a project today would range between $ 2,000 and $ 3,000 for each site. This would include the windmill to pump the air, the air driven water pump and the air-line. Another $1,500 would be needed for a trough for the cattle to drink and a storage tank.

Koenders Windmill water pumps consist of only three moving parts which is a key contributor to the incredible reliability of these units. No wonder they come with 3 year industry leading warranties. There is a compression chamber with two valves. One valve allows water into the compression chamber and the second allows compressed air to escape so the chamber can refill with water.

The water pump is submerged just below the pond water surface. Compressed air from the windmill is supplied to the water pump from a 3/8 inch air line. Each time the pump chamber refills with water, the compressed air pushes anywhere from 2 - 4 gallons of water per/minute. A 3/4 inch plastic water line supplies water to a trough and or storage tank. A one way foot valve on the water line prevents water from flowing back into the water pump.

In order to create the tabled results weekly water readings were taken to estimate the pumping capacity and three times during the summer a series of water samples were taken for chemical, nutrient and bacteriological analysis. The following table is a brief summary of the water pumping capacity at two of the test sites located north of Edmonton.

At the Pembina site, the windmill kept up nicely to the water requirements of 80 yearling heifers. At the other site, the MyKyte farm, the pump kept up to 36 cow-calf pairs watering from a stock tank plus a 5,000 litre plastic tank.

The windmill was also used for pond aeration and this process improved the clarity of water substantially. Staff also noted that water storage is important to supplement the varying wind conditions. A unique benefit of the Koenders windmill water pump is that it aerates the water and well as pumping it, thus improving water quality.

Overall, the farmers were extemley happy with the performance of the windmill water pumping systems. Some recommendations for the Koenders windmill water pumping system are:

Install the windmill away from trees.
At pond sites, install the windmill at the highest point near the pond.
Use the 20 FT towers - these studies were only done with 12 foot towers - (studies show that the 8 foot tower difference will produce up to 25% more wind).
Include a minimum of two to three days' water storage.
All pumping systems, including windmill water pumps, should be checked regularly to ensure cattle have adequate water.
Change the diaphragm and check valves prior to each water pumping season to ensure high quality performance.
Remove the water pump each fall and leave the air line in the dugout for aeration purposes.
Remember that the capacity of windmill water pumps are directly correlated to the amount of wind your area receives and varies significantly across the country.
Water pumping capacity is dependent on wind speeds, the vertical lift required and the length of the horizontal movement of water and of air line travel.

For more information on windmill water pumping systems, visit Koenders Windmills.

Order a Windmill Online through our e-commerce site

To learn more about water aeration and how it works or product information on Superior Windmill or Koenders Windmills products please visit our manufacturers web sites.

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