Agrismart is proud to be part of the Agricultural Water Network.
Why is the Agricultural Water Network needed?
Water Pollution Issue
“The Environment Agencies approach to tackling diffuse water pollution, such as run off from agricultural land and roads, has not to date proved value for money.”
According to a report published by the National Audit Office, the annual expenditure of 8 million has to date had little impact.
Mr Amyas Morse, Head of the National Audit Office
- Too many advisory groups
- Farmers only engage if there’s an incentive or its legislation
We use a lot of water!
Areas in red – limited water will be available for agricultural use
Early danger zones include London, East Anglia, Lincolnshire, West Midlands & Yorkshire
Source: “Water for people & the environment” Environment Agency
What farmers pay for water
- On average farms are using 2.5 cubic litres @ £1.75 EACH DAY
- This means that across the 86% of holdings in the UK using mains water as their primary supply FARMERS PAY £274,662,500 EACH YEAR FOR WATER.
- Using the Agricultural Water Network we could save the industry £12,318,750 each year if just 5% of farm holdings sign up to the network!
What is the Agricultural Water Network?
Working together
Achieving sustainability
Technology advancing
Expanding knowledge
Revenue for agriculture
Key Focus Areas
The Market
Water costs for Agriculture are increasing
More Competition for Water
- Increased pressure from urbanisation, industrialisation, water companies primary responsibility is to domestic and industry supply
Climate Change
- Changes in the seasonal timing of rainfall as well as higher incidence and severity of floods and droughts
Water Pollution
- Excess nutrients, pesticides, and other pollutants. the costs of water pollution are high and passed onto the agricultural sector.
Uses of water on farm
Each day 70% of commercial water consumption is used in agriculture and food production
86% of farmers are still using mains water for
- Livestock Drinking
- Slurry Flushing
- Washing Down
- Irrigation
- Spraying
How much water do livestock drink?
AHDB November 2013
Number of agricultural holdings by type in the UK
- There are a total of 200,000 agricultural holdings in England, Scotland and Wales
- We aim to sign up 5% of these to the Agricultural Water Network
The Business Model
Not a New Concept
Do we purchase a mobile phone or a Sky TV dish or do we purchase a contract?
Farms are run annually not monthly, predominantly due to seasonality or subsidy payment schedules. This is unsustainable and creates false profitability.
- Subsidies and the way they are paid will change.
- We all run our lives on a monthly budget.
- We don’t like to pay for things we use up front.
- The monthly amount is what matters to people.
- If we don’t purchase the item it’s not up to us to maintain it as we don’t own it.
How it Works
Customers have two options in joining the Agricultural Water Network
Monthly Contract
- Nothing to pay upfront just a monthly fee
- 5-year contract providing full maintenance of the equipment
Outright Purchase Option
- Upfront payment for the equipment
- 12-month standard warranty
Average Annual Farm Water Costs
- 2500 LITRES DAILY
- CUBIC METRE COST = £1.75
- 2.5 X £1.75 = £4.37 PER DAY
- 365 X £4.37 = £1596
*Cubic metre cost includes metered water usage, standing charges, drainage charges, maintenance charges & leakage.
The Technology and Pumps
Current Problem
- Natural water sources are not where the water is needed
- No power supply near water source
- Abstraction licenses becoming increasingly regulated
- Boreholes drying up or giving contaminated water
Options
Stay on mains
Expensive and price increasing
Ram Pumps
Require falling water and usually expensive infrastructure costs
Submersible Electric Pumps
Electric cable is expensive to run from nearest power sources.
Wind Pumps
Turbines needed to provide a consistent supply are large and expensive.
Pasture Push Pumps
One animal can use at a time, animals tend not to get an adequate water supply to meet their needs.
The Solution
- Able to pump from any available water source with no installation needed
- No need for power supply near the water source
- No abstraction license needed
- Not taking water from ground water
- No maintenance
- Ability to transfer water over long distances and heights
Zero Energy Off Grid Water Pump
- No need for natural fall
- No running costs
- No maintenance
- No installation costs
- Completely mobile
- Dry lifts water from 5m
- Pumps up to 1.5km distance and to a head of 30m
- Delivers 5000 liters daily
- Pumps directly to tank
- Pumps directly to up to 4 water troughs
How Does It Work
What’s in the Box?
- Fully automated continuous rated pump
- Quick fit pipe connections for inlet and outlet
- 2 X quick charge slow release lithium battery
- Control Panel
- Pressure Vessel
- Power Inverter
- Cooling vents
- Flow meter
- Quick stop ballcocks
- Water Treatment Unit
Conclusions
Water Quality
Does the Water Need to be Treated
- Livestock prefer natural water to mains water?
- Animals will usually drink from a natural water supply than from a mains supply
- Animals drink from puddles, streams, ponds that aren’t treated
- Rainfall and the ground contain contaminants
- Rainfall that feeds our water courses contain pollutants from the air
- We spread fertilisers and pesticides onto land that percolate into water
How can you treat natural water?
- Chlorine
- Chlorine dioxide
- Uv filters
- Carbon, sand, other media filters
Risks
Water companies lowering their pricing to below £0.40 per cube
- Average cost per cube is £1.75, the water companies cannot drop to this level
- Water companies are targeted at domestic supply not such a small proportion of the population
No one signs up
- Why wouldn’t customers want to pay £730 a year instead of £1596 with no initial outlay of money?
- Where else can customers get a complete equipment maintenance guarantee for 5 years?
Defra change policy on extraction
- Unlikely as it would go against the past 20 years of policy
- It would raise the question that every water company and enforcement agency want to avoid – who owns water?
Water quality
- We provide the equipment needed to chemically treat troughs and tanks free of charge
- Flowing water is rarely a problem for livestock drinking
Competitors try to copy our model with a different pumping system
- Being first to market is critical
- We have not come across any other pump system that can compete with performance or cost
Summary
- If we sign up 5% of the market we save the industry £ £12,318,750
- Revenue of £36,500,000 will be generated if we sign up 5% of the market
- We can deliver the environmental aim of removing livestock from water courses
- Disease spread will reduce through having separate water supplies
- Customers will have the ability to manage their land better as water access will be available to areas previously without
- Customers will have access to greatly reduced cost on other water related items – water pipe, tanks, treatment systems, fittings, troughs through better buying power
