The Texas Dairy Industry’s Water Footprint
A water footprint sounds simple but depends on what you count. This guide explains how water is used on a Texas dairy, why footprint numbers vary and what farms can do to use water wisely.
What is a water footprint?
A water footprint estimates the water used to produce a product, often per gallon of milk. Some versions count only water used on the farm and others add the water used to grow feed crops, including rainfall that fell on the field.
Because definitions differ, footprints from different studies are hard to compare. Figures attributed to Texas dairy in the headline are as reported and should be checked at the source.
Rainfall that waters feed crops is often called green water, while irrigation from wells and rivers is blue water. Studies that include both can produce very large numbers that tell you little about your own wells.
Another quirk is that footprints are often given per unit of milk, so a farm that makes more milk per cow can look better even if it uses more water overall.
Where water goes on a dairy
Drinking water for cows is the biggest direct use, followed by cleaning parlors and equipment, cooling cows and sometimes flushing alleys. Feed production, often the largest share in a full footprint, happens off the dairy or on cropland.
Understanding these buckets helps you target savings. A leaky trough is a fix you can make this week.
A simple water balance, listing sources on one side and uses on the other, will highlight surprises. Many farms find that one or two uses account for most of the total.
- Cow drinking water
- Parlor and equipment cleaning
- Cooling systems
- Alley flushing and manure handling
- Irrigation for forage crops
Reuse and efficiency
Many dairies reuse water from cooling plates or parlor washdown for flushing alleys or irrigation, subject to permit rules. Efficient nozzles, fixing leaks and metering water use all add up.
Ask your NRCS office about conservation practices and cost share, and check with the TCEQ for rules on wastewater and nutrient handling.
Talk to your equipment dealer about low-flow cooling and parlor wash systems, and ask for references from dairies that have used them for a few years.
Texas water rules and planning
Water in Texas is governed by a mix of state law, groundwater districts and regional planning. Dairies in the Stephenville area and the Panhandle may deal with different aquifers and rules. The Texas Water Development Board publishes planning information and funding resources.
Talk with your groundwater district about metering, reporting and any limits. This is general education, not legal advice, so consult the district or a water attorney for specifics.
Hill Country and Panhandle producers should be aware that local conditions and rules can differ a great deal from one part of the state to another.
Drought and supply risk
A drought can shrink wells and stress crops at the same time. Check the Drought.gov site for conditions and outlooks and set a plan for what you will do if supply tightens. NOAA climate outlooks and your AgriLife Extension office can help you judge how long a dry spell might last. Know which uses can be reduced first.
The crop calendar guide can help with forage planning in dry years, and dairy herd care covers water needs for cows.
Think about emergency use too. In a fire or power failure, knowing where your water comes from and how to move it by hand or by generator is worth a plan.
A simple farm water audit
Read your meters weekly for a month and compare with herd size and weather. Walk the farm looking for dripping valves, overflowing troughs and hoses left running. Write down what you find and who will fix it.
Share the results with your crew. People are more careful with water when they see the cost, and small habits add up over a year. Repeat the audit each season.
Ask your buyer whether any water reporting is expected of you, so you can build the records you will need.
Use footprint numbers wisely
Footprint figures can be a helpful conversation starter with buyers and neighbors, but they can also be misused. Compare it with the USDA water and irrigation data where relevant. Track your own use with meters and bills so you can speak from your own data.
Over at farm.FM the dairy stories and farming section look at water and farm life, including a farm.FM story on dairy water use.
Update the audit if you add cows or a new barn, because water use scales with changes in the operation.
Sources and further reading
- Texas Water Development Board: water planning and funding
- TCEQ: Texas environmental regulator
- USDA NRCS: conservation programs and technical help
- Drought.gov: national drought information
- NOAA: climate and weather science
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Texas extension service
Ask locally: Ask your groundwater conservation district and AgriLife Extension agent about water use, metering and efficiency.