Flow monitoring is an important component of a water management plan. It is useful to know the volume of water that is used while washing and processing as well as the volume that is discharged as waste. If the flows within the processing and washing facilities are monitored it may be possible to identify inefficiencies or opportunities where less water could be used. A complete understanding of water use within the plant can provide new information that can help with implementing recycling and reuse of washwater.
Figure 1: Flow meter and logger unit (left), flow meter attached to a circular pipe band (center), and installed flow meter (right)
If discharging is unavoidable flow monitoring is still very important because when considering wastewater treatment it is crucial to know what volumes will require treatment. The less water the better, and generally less expensive. Volumes are needed, along with pollutant concentrations, to calculate the loading of waste into a treatment system. This information is also vital for selecting a water treatment technology that will be suited to treat the washwater.
Figure 2: An example graph showing data collected by a flow meter
There are several ways to monitor flow. A simple option is to use the flow rate of a pump and the amount of time it runs to estimate flows. Flow meters are an accurate and easy way to monitor flow, but they can be expensive. However, when a complete water management plan is being developed it is worthwhile to invest in proper flow monitoring equipment. By understanding the volumes of water used on a farm finding ways to decrease water-use and treat washwater becomes much easier.
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