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An Australian company has developed a new product which it claims can significantly reduce evaporation from water storages. The silicone-based liquid forms an almost invisible one-micron-thick film on the water surface, creating a barrier against evaporation
Up to 40 per cent of the water in a shallow farm dam can be lost annually to evaporation. In Queensland, for example, this would translate into an estimated loss of up to 1000 000 megalitres a year from the state’s total irrigation storage capacity of around 2500 000 megalitres.
Graham Strachan, Director of Ultimate Agri Products, which developed the new antievaporation liquid called Aquatain, said, ‘It’s easy to apply, as the silicone molecules repel each other giving almost instant coverage to the whole surface.
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‘It is also very cost-effective. It certainly costs significantly less than replacing the water lost to evaporation. On average, for a 1-hectare dam over a period of two months, the cost of Aquatain coverage is approximately $160,’ Mr Stachan explained.
‘Aquatain is safe to use on all types of water storages. Its components are approved by the Australian Food Standards Authority for use in food processing – for example, in the non-stick spray used in bakeries.’
The product is being evaluated by the CRC for Irrigation Futures as part of a broader study to improve the performance of monolayers, which currently are less effective than plastic dam covers. Plastic covers can be used on smaller dams, but are more expensive than pump-on solutions for very large dams – and according to Strachan, water authorities have expressed interest in Aquatain for use in ‘mega dams’ that supply water to metropolitan areas.
Editor's Note: First published in the March, 2007 issue of ECOS Magazine.
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