NPI Water Troughs
Efficient water distribution is crucial for livestock and facilitates rotational grazing which benefits plant diversity.
Why?
- To provide alternative water supply for livestock so that they can be excluded from watercourses.
- Essential support for rotational grazing allowing for improved management of grasslands.
- Helps you to increase your score and possibly your payments through improved grazing management.
1. Install a new water trough.
2. It can be concrete or plastic.
3. The minimum size is 318 Litres, you can put in a bigger one if you want.
4. Keep the trough at least 20 m back from a water course.
5. The trough must be connected to a supply and water flow controlled with a ballcock. You can turn the supply off when livestock are absent.
- For the full details on requirements for this action you should read the Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Specifications for Non Productive Investments.
- You can find them by clicking here.
Implementation Notes
Water troughs must be connected to a supply, this can be turned off if animals are absent, do not locate water troughs near drains, watercourses or gateways. In larger fields site, the trough where it can be accessed from two or more possible future temporary sub divisions.
Additional Guidance
• Drinking troughs should sit on a solid (e.g. gravel chip), level surface in an accessible location. Water troughs should not be installed beside gateways or in field corners, the ideal location is midway along the longest side of the field as this facilitates (but does not oblige) temporary subdivision of the field for grazing management purposes.
• Troughs should not leak or overflow.
• If installing on wet ground is unavoidable, a gravel base and hardcore of gravel should be laid down extending to 2m out from the trough on the main accessible sides.
• Concrete troughs or large plastic may be more suitable for central locations in a field where the risk of livestock tipping over the trough is greater. Small plastic troughs are best restricted to field boundaries.
• Ballcocks should be set at the correct height to prevent overfilling and use a stop valve to shut off the water supply when stock are not in the field.
• If old water facilities (old troughs/baths etc.) are not going to be used for additional water supply, then they should be removed from the field.
• Plastic troughs should have several large stones laid in the bottom to avoid wind-blow when empty.
• Floats (rubber balls) can help prevent the freezing over of water in cold conditions.
• Water storage tanks should not be placed on or within close proximity to an archaeological monument.
• Water troughs must not be located at a site which would increase livestock tracking over archaeological monuments. Ongoing monitoring will be required to ensure that archaeological monuments are not impacted upon.
Good Locations:
- Grassland or rough grazing fields more than 20m from a Drain or Watercourse
- Centre of field,
- Mid point along the length of a field
Poor Locations:
- Near a Drain or Stream
- Near an Archaeological Monument
- In Scrub or Woodlands
- Field Corners
- Beside a Gate
- On deep peat
- On Heather
- On Sphagnum
Does the Water Trough have to be made of plastic or concrete?
The Water Trough can be made of concrete or plastic.
What size does the trough have to be?
The minimum size of a Water Trough is 318 L. You can put in a larger Water Trough if you wish.
Do I have to connect the Water Trough to a water supply?
Yes, the water trough must be connected to a supply, either a piped supply, a supply from a pump or storage tank. You can switch off the supply when livestock are absent.
Where should I locate a Water Trough?
At least 20m from a watercourse. Do not locate in field corners or beside gates. Do not locate in scrub/ woodland fields, on deep peat, on heather or sphagnum moss. You can put in multiple Water Troughs in the one field.
Do I have to put hardcore under the trough?
Hardcore under the trough will firm up the ground and reduce the risk of poaching near the water trough. It is not compulsory but is recommended.
