Water Use
Table of Contents
Introduction
Livestock farming uses far more water than is sustainable.
For livestock and their feed, farmers have been draining aquifers much faster than their stores can be replenished, meaning that hundreds or millennia worth of natural water storage is dropping enough to make the ground sink, rivers are drying up, and much of the remaining water is being contaminated. In fact pollution levels are growing so quickly that new dead zones being created by their massive amounts of manure run off, and natural dead zones are growing much larger.
Unfortunately water use is only part of the problem, contamination from livestock manure, human sewage, field runoff including pesticides and fertilizers all contribute to make once-clean water less safe to drink, or even deadly once pollution levels reach a critical point as they have the the US's rural communities, as well as the growing number of ocean dead zones.
How Much Water is Used to Farm Livestock
Livestock Contaminate Drinking Water
Most of us just think about the manure run off after fields are sprayed with manure slurry, but there are a number of ways that livestock pollute the same water we an they drink, from the pesticides sprayed over fields of livestock feed, to the rivers polluted by illegal slaughterhouse waste.
The following are listed alphabetically since we haven't yet found the statistics for each kind of pollution.
Leather Production
"Tannery industries are listed as the most polluting activity due to the wide type of chemicals applied during the conversion of animal skins into leather. Chromium salts, phenolics, tannins, organic matter, among others products, are constantly released to the environment in tannery wastewater. These pollutants offer environmental risks to the aquatic life and human health [2]. In China high concentration of NH4-N and Ge were listed as impact and residues for the local ecosystem and human health [8]. Pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria are part of the organic matter in effluents (coliforms, anaerobic spore-forming bacilli. Streptococci, Staphylococci, etc) [9].
How leather is slowly killing the people and places that make it? It was written by [10]. In India there are more than 3,000 tanneries, and most of them (nearly 80%) are produced in chrome tanning process [11]. Health risks related to this manufacture was shown at Figure 1 and they were discussed by different authors. Brazil is also an important exporter of blue-leather tanning. Many efforts from different countries have been made for diminishing ecological and human health risks once this activity is very important for the economy and positive impacts of the good initiatives were presented during the discussion section [12-14]." - Tannery Wastewaters
Manure
"The manure lagoons can hurt water and land quality. Animal waste pollutants, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, antibiotics, pesticides, and diseases, leach into the groundwater and land. The EPA estimates that states with high concentrations of CAFOs experience 20 to 30 serious water quality problems per year."
Nitrate in Water Widespread, Current Rules No Match for It (Wisconsin, USA) "At least 90 percent of nitrate inputs into groundwater come from artificial fertilizers and manure from farming operations, according to the 2015 report of the Groundwater Coordinating Council. Nitrate in drinking water systems is increasing, the council found, and “current management activities to limit nitrate pollution have questionable effectiveness.”
In addition to blue baby syndrome, researchers are studying other possible health effects from nitrate in drinking water, including several cancers, thyroid problems, birth defects and diabetes. Nitrate can convert to compounds that are “some of the strongest known carcinogens,” according to the state groundwater council."
Slaughterhouses
Water Pollution from Slaughterhouses (PDF) "Three Quarters of U.S. Meat Processing Plants that Discharge into Waterways Violated their Permits, 2016-2018"
Click the Water Pollution button to learn more about the impacts of agriculture on our water supplies.
Livestock Destroy Aquatic Ecosystems
Livestock Disrupt The Water Cycle
There are a number of ways livestock disrupt the water cycle, from using more water than is sustainable then polluting much of what remains, deforestation which interrupts the rain cycle in multiple ways, to changing soil compaction which prevents soil from properly absorbing water and can increase flooding.
Deforestation
Click the Livestock & Deforestation button to learn how livestock farming affects forests and the water cycle.
Soil Permeability
When livestock hooves compact the ground they can prevent water from entering aquifers.
Farmers and gardeners often try to kill burrowing animals including ants, moles, gofers, and armadillos, but these are actually very important for soil permeability. Ants and other burrowing creatures can sometimes harm crops, but livestock farmers will kill off larger animals in particular to prevent their livestock from getting their feet stuck or legs broken by the holes. This persecution has had a terrible effect on soil health, causing increased flooding and desertification.
Wetlands
These are also under threat as wetlands are drained and deforested to make more space for livestock and crop farming.
Issues by Location
Europe
UK
North America
"In the US, the amount of waste produced by livestock in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), also known as factory farms, is tremendous. Livestock manure, unlike human waste, is not treated before it is disposed of. The untreated manure emits airborne chemicals and fumes, and when runoff occurs, dangerous pollutants enter our waterways. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to regulate CAFO waste, but has yielded to pressure from the meat industry and largely shifted its regulating responsibility to the states.
In 2012, livestock and poultry on the largest concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) produced 369 million tons of manure: this was almost 13 times more waste than that of the entire US population of 312 million. 1 While human waste is treated in municipal sewer systems and subject to strict regulation, animal waste is stored in open ponds (called lagoons) or pits and is applied untreated as fertilizer to farm fields. The mixture in lagoons consists not only of animal excrement but of bedding waste, antibiotic residues, cleaning solutions and other chemicals, and sometimes dead animals. Most lagoons are lined only with clay and can leak, allowing the waste to seep into groundwater." - FoodPrint
Water Scarcity and Fish Imperilment Driven by Beef Production (Paper with maps)
Who Are The Top Toxic Water Polluters in Your State? Interactive map. Scroll down for the full list, and click the arrow under the list to find your state. Some of the worst polluters are livestock related, including meat-processing plants.
Oceana
Resources
Water Sources for Livestock
The following watering solutions are listed from most to least sustainable.
Dew Ponds
These are an ancient solution to providing water to livestock at higher altitudes. They are characterized by their round shape, and layers of chalk, limestone, etc. which help provide a sealed surface for natural water collection. These mysterious ponds are believed to date back to at least the middle ages, and are slowly being restored by conservationists in Europe as an attempt to protect communities and wildlife against our increasingly frequent droughts.
Guzzlers
There are artifact water harvesting devices which provide water to wildlife in high altitude, and inaccessible area. They consist of a rain collection portion such as an angles concrete slab or raised roof, and a water storage section which is at least 75% covered to protect against evaporation. Many models include 2 types and angles of ramp to help different species of animal access the water, and safely crawl out if they fall in.
These don't provide a wide area for drinking like dew ponds do, and they can melt during wildfires since they are generally made from synthetic materials.
Extracted River Water
Scientists warn that meat consumption in cities is driving the recent trend of US rivers drying up.
Pumped Aquifer Water
This is a growing problem around the world since aquifers can take hundreds or even thousands of years to recharge, yet farmers are using ground water to grow livestock feed and provide drinking water. The rate of extraction has been so extreme that land subsidence has started to impact major roadways, buildings, and even dams.
Maps
North America
USA
Water Scarcity and Fish Imperilment Driven by Beef Production (Paper with maps)
Who Are The Top Toxic Water Polluters in Your State? Interactive map. Scroll down for the full list, and click the arrow under the list to find your state. Some of the worst polluters are livestock related, including meat-processing plants.
Grants
International
Farmed Animal Funders "Our group is open to all individuals and foundations giving more than $250,000 per year to end factory farming."
North America
USA
Eat The Change "ETC Impact™ is a grant program working to promote and expand access to climate-friendly foods. We're donating more than $1.25 million over three years to support a diverse group of changemaking nonprofit organizations."