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Drought proofing farm water supplies [2015-2018]

Description

The severe province-wide drought in the early 2000’s reaffirmed the importance and value of water to rural people across the Canadian prairies. Dry wells and dugouts, crop failures and dust storms... More ≫

Description

The severe province-wide drought in the early 2000’s reaffirmed the importance and value of water to rural people across the Canadian prairies. Dry wells and dugouts, crop failures and dust storms were all commonplace. Individually, these measures may not provide the level of drought protection needed, but when combined, they can provide a high degree of drought preparedness and security. A good understanding of your water requirements and water source options is a key first step. This fact sheet provides information about drought security related to your water source. Other forms of risk management, such as crop insurance, community networks or reducing livestock herds, are discussed in other Agriculture and Forestry publications.

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Small earth fill dams

Description

Earth fill dams are a good alternative to dugouts where larger volumes of water must be stored at a reasonable cost and suitable site conditions exist. Proper design and construction is essential... More ≫

Description

Earth fill dams are a good alternative to dugouts where larger volumes of water must be stored at a reasonable cost and suitable site conditions exist. Proper design and construction is essential for dams; otherwise they will fail from washouts or seepage losses. If water quantity is your main priority, then a dam could be the best option. If better water quality is the important factor, a dugout is probably a better option. Take the time to properly plan, construct, inspect and maintain your dam, and it will be a valuable water resource for your farm for many years to come.

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Chemical analysis interpretation of rural household water supplies

Description

A routine chemical analysis tests the water for about 15 chemical parameters. Levels for common problems such as hardness, sodium, sulphates, nitrates and nitrites can be determined.

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Alternatives for iron removal

Description

This fact sheet presents alternatives for iron removal such as: Air injection with filtration, Shock chlorination, manganese greensand iron filter, water softener, Chlorination and filtration

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Pitless adaptors

Description

Pitless adaptors are mechanical devices used to provide frost free, sanitary well connections. They are designed to replace pump houses, which are expensive, and well pits, which are no longer... More ≫

Description

Pitless adaptors are mechanical devices used to provide frost free, sanitary well connections. They are designed to replace pump houses, which are expensive, and well pits, which are no longer legal in Alberta.

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Reverse osmosis water treatment

Description

Reverse osmosis is a water treatment process that forces water through an extremely fine membrane to remove dissolved minerals. Purified water passes through the membrane and collects in a storage... More ≫

Description

Reverse osmosis is a water treatment process that forces water through an extremely fine membrane to remove dissolved minerals. Purified water passes through the membrane and collects in a storage container. Small household reverse osmosis systems will produce 1 to 5 gallons of water per day. If total dissolved solids is greater than 2,000 ppm, or more than 5 gallons of water per day is required, a booster pump will be required.

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Water softening

Description

This fact sheet provides information about water softners operation, five-cycle fully automatic water softeners, iron removal and general information.

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Water distillers

Description

Water distillers can remove most minerals, metals, organic chemicals and micro-organisms from water. A clean, well-maintained distiller will remove over 95 per cent of the minerals, including... More ≫

Description

Water distillers can remove most minerals, metals, organic chemicals and micro-organisms from water. A clean, well-maintained distiller will remove over 95 per cent of the minerals, including sodium, sulfate, nitrate and arsenic. Biological contaminants such as bacteria, viruses and cysts are destroyed during distillation. Water distillers can be simple, versatile drinking water treatment devices.

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Small water filters for taste, odour and sediment removal

Description

Small water filters are relatively inexpensive and are intended for use at a single water outlet to remove specific contaminants. These are sometimes referred to as “Point of Use” (POU) devices.... More ≫

Description

Small water filters are relatively inexpensive and are intended for use at a single water outlet to remove specific contaminants. These are sometimes referred to as “Point of Use” (POU) devices. These filters are intended for use only with treated municipal water supplies or water that is free of microbial contaminants.

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Farm water supply requirements

Description

All farms in Alberta require a safe and dependable supply of good water. To accomplish this goal requires some planning. Start by estimating the average daily water requirements and annual water... More ≫

Description

All farms in Alberta require a safe and dependable supply of good water. To accomplish this goal requires some planning. Start by estimating the average daily water requirements and annual water requirements.

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