Three piggeries that draw their water from the very polluted Murray River in South Australia have until recently always had a problem with solids blocking up their systems and sows not drinking properly.

John & Jill Lunn are ecstatic about the benefits they have gained by using the water. The Lunns, who have a 110-sow piggery, also run cattle and produce oranges. “We pump our water from the Murray River, which is not very good at the best of times,” John said.

It is very heavy in solids and has quite a bit of coliform bacteria in it. We were getting a lot of trouble with these solids, not being able to get them out, and they were blocking filters and sows were not drinking properly. What this Grander Water has done for us mostly, is to enable the solids to drop out.

“It's now dropping out in the tanks and we are getting clear water, so that has been a big plus, we are not getting blocked nipples and the stock are drinking better and therefore they are eating better.

 “There has been an improvement on smell and there has been more activity in the pond, showing that the oxygen is getting in there and doing good. We actually pump this water out about 10km for cattle and there is a definite reduction in slime and stuff that normally grows on your tanks and troughs. You can’t really explain what it does, but it does something.”

 “We are also running our rain water through the System and we reckon it is brilliant. Orange pickers we have here have been drinking it straight out of the bucket.”

Jill is even more enthusiastic about the treated water than John. She said: “The pigs have never been brighter. The plants in the garden have grown, it is absolutely incredible. I have two roses out the front that did absolutely nothing and this year they were covered in flowers. We are sold on the stuff, I can tell you.”

The only management change Graham and Pat Mee from Waikerie have made in the last six months is the introduction of Grander Water and their average daily gain has increased by 40 grams a day.

“On the production side, I have found the sows in the farrowing crates are drinking more, eating more, giving me better waning weights and better sow condition at waning,” Graham said.

“Sow discharges after farrowing have all but ceased. I am getting fewer returns to service. The litter sizes are more even, litter weight is up about 200 grams a piglet and they are a lot more lively and thrifty looking.

“While I haven’t yet installed the second stage of the effluent system, the smell of the effluent as it comes out of the pits is down by at least 40%. I pump Murray River water for all my piggery needs.

“The first thing I noticed when I installed the Grander System, was that within a week all my drinkers had blocked up. Upon investigation, I found pure clay/mud was blocking the drinkers!
“All the mud that had built up on the inside of the pipes had become detached. I flushed the lines completely and now have clean water pipes inside and better water flow.
“Within two weeks I could see the bottom of my 500 gallon water holding tanks – it’s hard to believe but when washing out, the water sparkles!

“While initially dubious about Grander’s claims, I can honestly recommend it, even though I don’t know how it works.”