printStock Journal Article: February 2026
Author: Brianna Guidera Northern and Yorke Landscape Board
Water is a critical part of every sheep enterprise. While having sufficient water quantity is imperative, water quality is equally important. Without access to clean, reliable water sheep are unable to properly digest feed, regulate their body temperature, or maintain a healthy weight.
For properties which are reliant on groundwater and dams, it is a good idea to regularly test water quality. Ideally, water samples should be collected twice per year, once during summer and again in early spring. Consult your local Landscape Board, PIRSA office or livestock consultant for instructions on how to collect and test water samples, as collection method may vary depending on the water source.
Salinity as relating to livestock is measured by Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) reported as milligrams per litre (mg/L). The laboratory report will generally categorise your water samples as low, acceptable or high. Some laboratories offer combined “Irrigation and Livestock” tests. Be cautious using these tests as acceptable limits for salts and other minerals in irrigation water are much lower than for livestock and can skew the interpretation offered by the laboratory. If you are unsure about how to interpret your results, consult your local Landscape Board, PIRSA office or livestock consultant.
Generally, dry mature sheep on pasture can tolerate up to 10,000 mg/L salt before there is any loss in production. Young, pregnant and lactating stock, and stock on dry feed, saltbush or in a feedlot/containment have a lower tolerance to salinity of drinking water.
Water which is too saline for livestock consumption can be treated by blending (‘shandying’) or desalination. Blending involves mixing high-quality water with poor-quality water to provide an overall acceptable blend for livestock. It can assist you to utilise additional water sources on your property if you have adequate reliable water sources to mix and maybe a cheaper option than new water infrastructure such as lined catchment or desalination plant. Before blending water, consider your total farm water requirements, the volume and reliability of each respective water source, the infrastructure and storage required, and designs of the required reticulated system(s).
Desalination is a less common but emerging solution. It may be suitable if you have a reliable, large volume of saline or brackish groundwater. Typically, desalination plants in Australia operate using Reverse Osmosis (RO) filtration technology. Simply, this involves pushing saline water through a semi-permeable membrane using external pressure. The membrane traps salt and other impurities and the clean water passes through.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Western Australia, estimated entry point costs for a desalination plant (excluding drilling, distribution costs and storage tanks) to be $30,000 to $100,000 depending on unit specifications, with variable costs ranging from $2-$10 per kilolitre (kL) depending on water properties (including temperature, water chemistry and turbidity) and power sources. Water outputs vary by location and groundwater quality. Additionally, a reject water (brine) disposal area is necessary. This can be done by using evaporation ponds, reject bores, existing drains, or a suitably saline water course (consult your local Landscape Board before doing this).
More information and case studies on capture, storage and management of water can be found on PIRSA - Eyre Peninsula Farm Water Security Project, Coorong District Council and DPIRD Watersmart Farms websites.