On farm monitoring of the impact of water system sanitation on microbial levels in broiler house water supplies

Abstract

SUMMARY An evaluation of poultry farm water supplies was conducted to determine the impact of broiler farm daily water system sanitation practices on microbial levels. The water systems of 4 commercial poultry barns were sanitized daily with 0.5 to one ppm of free chlorine (Cl) residual, which resulted in an Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) value of ≥ 600 mV at the beginning of the waterlines. Prior to the trial, waterlines were cleaned between flocks with a concentrated chlorine based disinfectant with greater than 1,000 ppm of free Cl. Waterline drip samples were collected from the nipple drinkers throughout the bird grow-out period in order to determine the microbial levels including the aerobic plate counts (APC), yeast, and mold in the water from all 4 barns for 3 consecutive flocks. This evaluation showed that water systems are vulnerable to microbial contamination regardless of consistent water sanitation. Microbial growths (> 4 log10 cfu/mL APC) were detected in water samples at different periods throughout the flock grow-out period. However, daily water sanitation practices helped to control the persistence of occasional microbial growth in water and kept the drinking water at a microbiologically safe level (