animal health

Pig Drinking Water Cleaning and Disinfection

Pigs consume at least twice as much water as feed, and the fastest way a pathogen can spread disease in a farm is through the drinking water.

Contaminated drinking water can create constant exposure to infection and disease, potentially putting the majority of your livestock at risk. Continually cleaning and disinfecting pig house water lines helps keep animals safe from pathogen entry, which safeguards your investment and is critical for maintaining animal health and pig farm production.

animal health

Diseases in Pig Drinking Water

When pigs ingest contaminated drinking water, it can compromise their immune system, cause stress and expose them to disease and infection. 

Common diseases in pig drinking water are Salmonella, E coli, Streptococcus, Coccidiosis and African Swine Fever. In addition to affecting individual pigs, these diseases can be easily transferred among drinking nipples and spread throughout the entire pig house.


Pig Drinking Water System Cleaning and Disinfection

Your pig farm cleaning and disinfection program can be undermined by contaminated drinking water. Together, disinfection and acidification improve the quality of drinking water and protect animal health and your bottom line.

animal health

Pig Drinking Water Disinfection

Even after cleaning water lines, some microorganisms could still be present, and the problem is often related to water quality. Well water and surface water from lakes often carry bacteria including trichoderma and algae. In this case, incoming water should be continuously disinfected throughout the whole production cycle.

 Close up of water swirling and bubbling on a white background.

Acidification of Pig Drinking Water

Acidifying pig drinking water can help improve consumption of this "forgotten nutrient." Together, acidification and disinfection lower the microbiological load and the risk of Salmonella and Campylobacter. Acidification can also improve animal performance by lowering the pH in pigs' stomachs, which improves protein digestibility, leading to increased feed conversion and weight gain. 

Weaned piglets experience huge stressors when they're moved to a new group or environment or when they change feed. This results in a drop of immunity and a reduced digestive capacity. In this critical period, piglets can be supported by adding organic acids to their drinking water.

Choosing a product which has a synergistic formulation of multiple organic acids is advised. These organic acids have superior buffering capacities and decrease pH slowly. They have a greater antibacterial effect, taste better and are less corrosive compared with a single inorganic.

Programs, Products, Equipment and Services

Explore Our Pig Drinking Water Offerings

Gloved hands holding biofilm hose.

Reducing Biofilm by Cleaning and Disinfecting Water Lines

Everything that goes through a water line leaves residue. Water leaves behind minerals, organic acids leave organic matter, medication and vaccines can leave carriers or precipitate.

All these elements form a slime called biofilm. Biofilm is a mix of organic and inorganic matter in which microbes are multiplying. It can contain pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli which are sources of contamination for drinking water. Biofilm decreases water flow and can block the drinking nipples as well as neutralize medicine and vaccines which leads to under-dosage or poor results.

To address biofilm and its negative effects, Ecolab offers a range of cleaning and disinfection products that help keep water lines clean and animals healthy.

Commercial Farm


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