Poor quality water can reduce productivity by up to 25 per cent, and inadequate quantities can be even more devastating. Those who rely on dams and groundtanks, particularly where the water source is directly from runoff, may be starting to encounter problems with both quantity and quality.

There are many factors that contribute to poor water quality including salinity, pH, nutrient imbalances (especially nitrogen, phosphorus, chloride, iron etc), blue green algae, faecal contamination and pathogens, toxic residues and compounds, water temperature and turbidity.

It is recommended you get a water sample tested if you are unsure or concerned about the quality of your farm water supplies. There are a range of private laboratories that can test your water – alternatively, your local Local Land Services or NSW DPI offices have water test kits available.

The middle of a drought is perhaps not the right time to be making significant decisions or changes to how you supply water to your livestock, but it might be time to plan how you could provide improved water access in terms of quality and quantity.

Such planning might include considering piped stock water, supplied through troughs coupled with some on-farm storage. It could also involve providing more watering points than you have now, to better use paddock feed and reduce livestock walking.

There is a range of different options and variables to consider, not the least of which is capital cost, which needs to be taken into account, but the benefits a more secure and improved quality water supply system can provide should not be underestimated.

A number of programs are worth considering if you are contemplating capital investment in water infrastructure.

Landholders are encouraged to go to the DroughtHub website (www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/climate-and-emergencies/droughthub), or contact Murray Local Land Services for further information.