Satellite water tank system helps navigate supply challenges on-farm
Smart water management is vital to Pax Leetch’s farming operation located near Golden Bay. He and his wife Ellie farm 320 ha leased from Ellie’s family trust. With no elevated natural water source, water management has always been challenging.
To help, Pax and Ellie recently installed a fully reticulated water system to feed water to 22 paddocks across the farm.
“Water management has always been a challenge for us, and we have noticed an increasing demand for our water by our livestock, along with a natural decline in water availability,” says Pax.
“Previously, we had some paddocks that lacked access to fresh water. The new reticulated system means we have water in 22 paddocks now, but we knew we needed a way to efficiently manage our water use so we never run dry.”
Pax uses the MAX-SatTM which will be available exclusively from PGG Wrightson stores from April to manage his farm's water use. The product combines an RXP MAX Tank equipped with Gallagher’s integrated satellite Tank Monitoring System (TMS).
“We don’t have any natural water sources at higher elevation, so we rely on gravity-feeding a 25,000-litre tank from a spring on the farm. We then pump it further to a 30,000-litre tank for gravity-fed distribution to the troughs across the farm,” says Pax.
The TMS is installed on the 30,000 litre tank and it sends Pax continuous information directly to his phone.
“This is our first full summer using the system, and we’ve seen a significant increase in water use across our farm. The system tells me exactly where our water levels are at and highlights immediately if we have any issue we need to check out,” says Pax.
Pax’s MAX-Sat has not only helped with efficient water distribution but has also helped him optimise his grazing management.
“Before we put in the reticulated system, we were relying on natural water sources in many of our paddocks. Having the system and new troughs means we can subdivide some of those paddocks for better grazing management.”
Pax says they have been surprised by how much their animals drink. The MAX-Sat has also alerted them to potential leaks as levels drop rapidly outside of the usual range.
“Water is a precious resource, and the system is definitely helping prevent any water wastage, ensuring our livestock always have supply,” says Pax.
“We have had probably two or three alerts since we started using the system telling us the tank is suddenly below the alert levels we set. It’s great because we don’t have to constantly check the tanks, we just get the information on our phone, which is a huge time saver."
PGG Wrightson has teamed up with RX Plastics and Gallagher to make it easy to order a MAX-Sat. With a simple installation process, instant information will be available on tank levels, from the time it is first filled.
The ready-to-assemble MAX-SatTM is available exclusively from PGG Wrightson stores from April.
