Repair leaks and minimise evaporation losses

The easiest improvements in water use efficiency often come from minimising water loss. Once water reaches the farm, water may be lost through evaporation or leaks. Any leaks identified should be fixed or at the very least, the water caught for future use.

Evaporation from the surface of water storages should be minimised. This can be done by investing in storages that decrease the surface area of the water exposed to the air or by providing a shade or cover for the storage. Deeper water storages (which maximise the depth to storage ratio) should be installed for new storages to minimise evaporative losses. Lining of storages with clay or other impermeable liners will reduce dam leakage.

There are also technologies available that can help reduce evaporation from the surface of water storages.

• E-vapCap®
  E-vapCap® is a cover for evaporation control.
• Water$AVr™
  Water$AVr™ is a new non-toxic powder that can be applied to reservoirs or irrigation canals and ditches to prevent surface evaporation.

While evaporation control has some obvious advantages in reducing water loss, it can also have adverse environmental effects including oxygen reduction, reduced light penetration and severe impacts on beneficial aquatic life. As a general rule, you will need to weigh up the evaporation benefits vs water quality impacts vs installation and ongoing costs. Please consider all possible effects before determining which method, if any, is suitable for your circumstances.


The following reports from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines provide a good summary of the advantages and disadvantages of various evaporation control methods.

• On Farm Storages
• Urban Supply Storages