Agricultural water is described as either production water or postharvest water. Production water is water used for activities during the growing cycle. Postharvest water is any water used during and after harvest, including washing, packing, and holding activities. Water used in the production of fruits and vegetables has the potential to house and transfer harmful microorganisms from animal & human waste to produce which may cause consumers to become ill. Contaminated produce could bring about the loss of revenue and damage to your farms reputation. The first step in making sure that your production water is safe for pre-harvest use is testing the levels of E. coli in the water to determine what risk mitigation measures you may need to implement.
Request Water Testing & 1-on-1 On-Farm Training
The Kentucky Horticulture Council can provide on-farm water testing training. As part of this training, KHC will visit your farm and demonstrate how to test your ag water sources. KHC will take samples and deliver these samples to your nearest lab. KHC will discuss risk factors for contamination that apply to your operation and produce as well as some potential risk mitigation measures. KHC will also provide some sampling bottles for you to use to test your water annually. Fill out this form to request on-farm water testing training: https://forms.gle/cXptV83A4giZWmHt6
Different water sources for crop production
Typically ag water sources include municipal water, surface water from a cistern, creek, or pond, and ground water from a well. Below you can find information on safely using ag water from cisterns, creeks, ponds, and wells.
Information on safely using different water sources for crop production:
Water Testing How-To
Water used in the production of fruits and vegetables has the potential to house and transfer harmful microorganisms from animal & human waste to produce which may cause consumers to become ill. The first step in making sure that your production water is safe for pre-harvest use is testing the levels of E. coli in the water.
To help you learn the do’s and don’ts of water testing, KHC has put together this Testing How-To card below and some quick tutorial videos that you can find in our Ag Water Testing How-To’s playlist on YouTube. Scroll down to watch one of these videos below. You can also press play on an episode of the The Food Safety Dish podcast that featured KHC staff as guests to talk about ag water testing.
Water-Bout It? Testing Your Source with Dakota Moore and Dani D'Antonio – The Food Safety Dish
Finding a Water Testing Lab
This Horticulture Resource Map can be used to find a water testing lab near you.
This publication and the information contained herein would not have been possible without a Southern SARE Professional Development Program Grant (SPDP21-05 Creating a Specialty Crop Sustainable Production Community of Practice for Kentucky Agriculture Professionals). We would like to thank Southern SARE for their continued support of farmers, ranchers, academics, and agriculture professionals.