Influence of dairy housing on freshwater usage on commercial dairies in western Kansas

Fresh water pumping records were obtained from 24 western Kansas dairy farms for a 10-year period from 2000 through 2009. Farms were divided by facility type: dry lot (DL), free stall (FS), or a combination (DL+FS). Of the facility types studied, DL averaged smaller (P < 0.05) demand for water at 52.6 gal/cow per day compared with FS at 61.3 gal/cow. Both DL and FS facilities had less water demand than the combination facilities of DL+FS at 71.1 gal/cow of water daily. In all cases, average freshwater pumping was less than the daily amount of 134.7 gal/cow commonly used in dairy facility design. The difference may result from water conservation efforts of the dairies and the efficiency gained from operating larger milking parlors.