Natural springs, reservoirs with fresh water are a convenient source of drinking water for livestock, but they are also a habitat for pathogens and toxins. If your animals show signs of gastrointestinal upset, salivation and difficulty walking, you may want to test the water.

David Fernandez, a livestock specialist at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, says there are four pollutants to watch out for.

“I’d be looking at salinity or total dissolved solids, nitrogen levels and in particular looking at nitrates and nitrites, bacteria, and then blue-green algae. If those weren’t really what came up, I’d be thinking about some accidental sources of contamination like petroleum spills, or pesticide spills, or fertilizer spills. But you wouldn’t really test for those so much in the water as you would look for evidence of that having happened around the water, ”says Fernandez.

Bacteria often develop when animals walk in a body of water. Nitrates come from wastewater, fertilizers and, if converted to nitrite, can prevent oxygen from entering the bloodstream.

High salinity or salinity can disrupt the water balance of animals and even lead to death.

"Once we start getting above about 5,000 ppm you can start having problems with your animals not wanting to drink, it may not be safe for calves or pregnant females," he says. "And then anything over 7,000 ppm you really need to avoid, and over 10,000 would be unsafe and shouldn’t be used at all."

The specialist recommends testing the water quality twice a year.

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