Automated systems monitor water quality parameters continuously and can help to analyse opportunities to save water and manage water quality. The following examples are general recommendations for automated systems and online monitoring systems for some of the common water treatments and disinfection techniques used in chicken sheds in Australia.
Figure 3 and Table 8 show minimum requirements, and Table 9, Table 10, Figure 4 and Figure 5 show the best practice requirements for automated systems.
Minimum recommended automated systems and online monitoring systems
Table 8. Minimum recommended automated systems and online monitoring systems
| Location | Meter / monitoring system | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Source water | pH / EC / TDS (Commonly portable meter can measure pH, conductivity (EC), and TDS with a single probe.) | Measuring the source water pH / EC / TDS will show changes in the source water quality, so treatments and disinfection can be modified to ensure water quality. |
| Storage | Flow meter | Allows you to: |
| Filter | pH | Monitoring pH will ensure it is in the optimal range for disinfectant used. |
| Disinfection | Auto dosing system | A continuous dosing system ensures a consistent dose and residual. |
| After header tank | Oxidation reduction potential (ORP) | Identifies water supplies that have inadequate oxidant residual. Can be used to adjust the residual without overusing oxidant. |
Best practice recommended automated systems and online monitoring systems
Table 9. Best practice recommended automated systems and online monitoring systems
| Location | Meter / monitoring system | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Source water | pH / EC / TDS | Measuring the source water pH, EC and TDS will show changes in the source water quality, so treatments and disinfection can be modified to ensure water quality. |
| Colour (gives a rough estimation of dissolved organic matter) | Increases in average colour indicate increased organic matter in source water, which will require additional pre-treatment and disinfectant dose. | |
| Storage | Flow meter | Allows you to: |
| Colour | Indicates the success of pre-treatment. | |
| Filter | pH | Monitoring pH will ensure it is in the optimal range for disinfectant used. |
| Disinfection | Auto dosing system | A continuous dosing system ensures a consistent dose and residual. |
| After header tank | ORP | Identifies water supplies that have inadequate oxidant residual. Can be used for adjusting the residual without overusing oxidant. |
| Disinfectant residual | Additional residual monitoring can be compared to ORP to see if low oxidant species are forming. | |
| Shed | Flow meter | Allows you to measure shed water use and identify shed leaks. |
Best practice reverse osmosis recommended automated systems and online monitoring systems
Table 10. Best practice reverse osmosis recommended automated systems and online monitoring systems
| Location | Meter / monitoring system | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Source water | pH, EC and TDS | Measuring the source water pH, EC, and TDS will show changes in the source water quality, so treatments and disinfection dose can be modified or optimised to ensure water quality. |
| Colour (gives a rough estimation of dissolved organic matter) | Increases in average colour indicate increased organic matter in source water, which will require additional pre-treatment and disinfectant dose. | |
| Filter | pH, EC and TDS Colour (gives a rough estimation of dissolved organic matter) | Indicates the success of pre-treatment. |
| RO | Flow meter | Allows you to: |
| Colour | Indicates the success of RO. | |
| Disinfection | Auto dosing system | A continuous dosing system ensures a consistent dose and residual. |
| After header tank | Oxidation reduction potential (ORP) | Identifies water supplies that have inadequate oxidant residual. Can be used to adjust the residual without overusing oxidant. |
| Disinfectant residual | Additional residual monitoring can be compared to ORP to see if low oxidant species are forming. | |
| Shed | Flow meter | Allows you to monitor shed water use and identify shed leaks. |
