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Farm Wash Down Water Treatment

Enviroconcepts, wash down, panama disease,

Every time a vehicle or machine enters a farming property, there is risk of unwanted pests, weeds or diseases that come in with them. Vehicles working on the farm also gather a lot of dirt and grime and will need to be regularly washed. A wash down facility is therefore a worthwhile investment for a working farm. The facility also should work hand in hand with an effective water treatment system built to treat the wash down water. Together, they provide the perfect solution for managing quarantine, and weed & seed hygiene, as well as staying compliant for wastewater treatment.

Weed and Seed Hygiene & Disease Quarantine

The spread of weeds threatens primary industries like agriculture. It also poses risks to the environment. For example, the Panama disease is a fungal infection that recently affected Queensland banana growers and eventually posed a huge threat to the entire industry. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), Biosecurity Queensland ** conducts regular surveillance of the infected areas and work with the banana industry to improve management of the Panama disease in the future. Enviro Concepts is working closely with DAF and local farmers to find appropriate solutions.

Moving vehicles and farm machinery contaminated with weed seeds can infect weed-free locations. The way to prevent it is to have good vehicle and farm machinery hygiene. Farm owner and service providers should consistently clean their farm vehicles to meet with both environmental and regulatory obligations. This includes heavy machinery (like dozers, excavators, graders) that may contain weed seeds in mud on the tracks, to farm vehicles (like tractors), implements (like slashers, ploughs, mulchers), harvesting machinery, wheeled loaders, cars, trucks and other vehicles.

Features of an Effective Wash Down Facility

For maintaining weed and seed hygiene, it is important to follow the council & biosecurity guidelines and have an effective wash down facility. Important considerations that will minimise infestation are:

  • The guidelines recommend that the vehicle wash down facility should be located away from livestock and crops, have access to power and high pressure water for easy cleaning.
  • Sites should be close to entry/exit points and clear of the watercourses and drainage lines.
  • It should have a sump to collect any waste water and regulations for treating the water if it needs to be discharged or recycled.
  • Appropriate disposal of waste and contaminants is essential.

For many farmers, working out all the parts of an effective and compliant wash down facility can get challenging. Enviro Concepts works closely with farm owners to create and install quick, modular wash bays with the appropriate water treatment system that would give their business the best return on their investment and maintain a high level of weed and seed hygiene.

If you have any question for you farm wash down facility, contact us or write to us for a FREE ESTIMATE.

 

** Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), Biosecurity Queensland page – https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/biosecurity