Overview
Water quality is one of the most overlooked variables in livestock performance.
Across swine operations, the same core metrics determine profitability:
- Mortality rates
- Livability and overall animal condition
- Feed-to-weight conversion
- Antibiotic usage and associated costs
Even small improvements in these areas can translate into major financial gains.
To validate real-world impact, Selective Micro Technologies partnered with working farms to measure how treated drinking water affects production outcomes.
Objective of Testing
The goal was simple:
Prove that improving water quality at the source can directly improve key production metrics in swine operations.
Instead of controlled lab conditions, testing was conducted in active farm environments to reflect real operating conditions and economic impact.
Testing Method
In 2018, SMT conducted a swine drinking water study at a commercial farrow operation in Saskatoon, Canada.
The focus was on mortality rates, one of the most critical and costly variables in farrow systems.
Protocol included:
- Initial shock treatment of water lines using high-concentration chlorine dioxide to remove built-up biofilm
- Extended contact time (up to 2 hours) to fully penetrate contamination in the system
- Transition to continuous treated drinking water
- Monitoring across three barns over an eight-week period
- Total population of over 700 pigs
This approach ensured the system started clean and maintained consistent water quality throughout the study.
Results
The results were immediate and measurable.
- 1.5% reduction in mortality rates across the test population
By industry standards, this is a meaningful shift, especially in high-value genetic operations.
Because each pig in this system carried a value between $3,000 and $5,000, the improvement translated into: $30,000 to $50,000 in recovered value over the test period
Beyond mortality, ongoing testing has also shown positive trends in:
- Feed conversion efficiency
- Overall herd health consistency
Why It Worked
The key driver was water quality control.
Water systems in livestock operations naturally accumulate biofilm, which:
- Harbors pathogens
- Reduces disinfectant effectiveness
- Impacts water palatability and intake
By removing biofilm and maintaining cleaner water lines, treated water systems create a more stable and controlled environment for animal health.
Summary
This case study reinforces a simple point:
Fixing water quality at the source directly impacts production outcomes.
In this swine operation, a targeted water treatment program led to:
- Lower mortality
- Higher retained value per animal
- Improved overall herd conditions
All without adding operational complexity.
Study Conclusion
Water is not just a delivery system, it is a performance driver.
When properly treated, it becomes one of the most cost-effective ways to improve livestock outcomes.
Ongoing testing across gestation, nursery, and finishing operations continues to validate these results, with early indicators showing consistent improvements across multiple production stages.
See how swine drinking water treatment helps improve water quality and reduce microbial pressure.