| Performance goal: Water lines remain free of scale and biofilms. |
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| Description: All poultry drinking water distribution systems need to be flushed to reduce or remove scale and biofilms. |
| Performance criteria: Water lines are regularly flushed. |
| Minimum requirements |
| High-pressure flushing requires having adequate volume and pressure. Usually, 100–200kPa (1–2 bars or 14–28psi) of water pressure will create the velocity and turbulence in the pipework to remove biofilm and scale. |
| Flush water lines are flushed weekly to remove particles that may interfere with the water flow. |
| Water lines are flushed when the water temperature is over 30°C. |
| Water lines are always flushed after administering medications or supplements to prevent biofilms from developing. |
| There is additional piping to remove flush water from the shed. |
| Best practice options |
| Flush water lines three times per week to remove particles that may interfere with the water flow. |
| Automatic flushing systems. |
| If scale is a significant issue water lines are treated with an acidifier before flushing. |
| If biofilms are a significant issue water lines are treated with a sanitiser before flushing. |
