Growth performance, hematology, and blood chemistry in weanling pigs consuming water recycled from a manure lagoon and then treated with a water and nitrogen management system

Decreasing availability of good quality water challenges sustainable pork production. One potential approach to mitigate this problem is treating wastewater recycled from manure so that it can be used for drinking. Such a system, however, requires that consumption not adversely affect pig health or economically important growth traits. The objective was to assess health and growth performance in pigs consuming water recycled from manure storage and then treated with a novel water and nitrogen management system before disinfection. Based on body weight, 72 weanling pigs were placed in 8 blocks of three pens each (three pigs/pen). Within block, pens were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: well water (control), 100% water recycled from a manure lagoon and treated, or a 50/50 mixture of control and treated water (8 pens/treatment). Compared to pigs consuming 100%-treated water, control pigs had greater ( P < 0.05) red blood cell and hemoglobin concentrations, and hematocrit. During week 1 post-weaning, average daily gain ( P < 0.05) and gain: feed ( P < 0.05) were greater for pigs consuming the 100%-treated water than the other groups. For the overall trial (Day 0 to 28), gain: feed was also greater ( P < 0.05) for pigs consuming the 100%-treated water compared to control pigs. Although hematological measures revealed evidence of elevated nitrate/nitrite in recycled wastewater, growth during the 28-day trial was not negatively impacted. • Decreasing availability of good quality water challenges the sustainability of commercial pork production. • A novel nitrogen management system was used to treat wastewater reclaimed from manure so that it could be used for drinking water by weanling pigs. • Although hematological measures in pigs revealed evidence of elevated nitrate/nitrite in reclaimed wastewater, swine health and growth during the 28-day trial was not negatively impacted. • These results provide evidence that wastewater reclaimed and appropriately treated may be suitable for drinking and could decrease water usage by pork production units.