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The WaterSmart Farms project will support adoption of on-farm desalinisation plants in agricultural regions, to process brackish groundwater into a suitable resource for livestock, crop agronomy an
Leaky farm dams are a significant problem in some areas of Western Australia, and there are several ways of dealing with the problem. This page describes options for dealing with leaky dams.
Pumping of groundwater and disposal of saline effluent (reject water) from desalination is covered by regulations requiring owners or occupiers to notify the Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservat
Managing subsurface water can help to lower watertables and alleviate problems with waterlogging, rising salinity, and infrastructure damage.
Organic material washed into dams can lead to water becoming unattractive to livestock and possibly toxic.
Silt washed into farm dams reduces dam storage volume, increases the chance of algal blooms and increases the proportion of water lost to evaporation.
Farm fires will often lead to contaminated surface-water supplies: ash and soil from burnt paddocks and bushland can be blown or washed into farm dams and provide nutrients for bacteria and algae.
Groundwater pumping can lower local watertables and reduce the spread of local salinity.
Siphons are a way of passively moving water from areas of higher hydraulic head to areas of lower hydraulic head, through a pipe.
Chlorination effectively reduces problems with water colour, taste and odour, and treats bacterial contamination.