Southland Farmers Given 18-Month Freshwater Farm Plan Reprieve
Southland farmers staring down a May deadline to submit freshwater farm plans under current regional plan rules have been given an 18-month reprieve by the Government.
Their Se-Tech Chlorinator which reduces e-coli and other bacteria in farm and dairy shed water will soon be released onto the New Zealand market.
It is believed that Fonterra is the prime mover and other dairy companies are also requiring more stringent standards. Some companies are randomly testing suppliers' farm water so they are aware of their present status and what steps can be taken if there is a problem. These higher standards will be mandatory within three years.
Singh's Engineering Services have been in business since 1979, manufacturing their Se-Tech in-line dispensers since 1988. These are used to put graduated doses of chemicals, minerals and nutrients into farm water lines for stock health and to minimise or eliminate drenching for bloat and Facial Eczema.
"These dispensers have been proven over nearly thirty years but in designing and building the Chlorinator we had to have a far greater degree of accuracy, moving from dosing percentages to doing micro doses," said assistant manager of Singh's Engineering Services, Darl Singh.
The firm has been getting a lot of enquiries for a chlorine dispenser that lead to the development of the Chlorinator.
The chlorine dispenser can be adjusted between 5 to 50 ppm accurately depending on the level of treatment needed. It is accurate with water flows between five litres per minute up to 6000 litres per hour and works in a pressure range from 10 psi to 210 psi.
The commercially available chlorine solution generally about 15 per cent is purchased by the farmer and is connected directly to the Chlorinator so there is no handling of the material.
A computer controlled pump takes the solution from the bulk supply to a pre-mix chamber. The computer is easily adjusted by the farmer and maintains the correct levels of chlorine. A set amount of water is added in the pre-mix chamber to standardise the solution, and then a modified Se-Tech dispenser injects the solution into the water line.
The combination of low volume, high accuracy computer controlled pump and high volume and high pressure capable Se-Tech dispenser ensures the system maintains the correct amount of chlorine in the water regardless of varying water flows or pressures in the pipe lines.
If there is already a Se-Tech dispenser on the farm delivery line the Chlorinator can be connected separately or in tandem.
Tel: 07 849 3108
