Food Safety Begins on the Farm: A Grower Self Assessment Food Safety Rks Water Use WATER USE
WATER USE Water Use Water can carry pathogens contaminated can cause illness. In 2000, an outbreak illness in Brith Columbia, Canada was traced back a farm well source had been contaminated by an on-farm sewage system. Th well was irrigate spinach, spinach ca illness in consumers. Using potable f as many produce operations as possible the best way reduce rks microbial contamination. Using municipal well sources ten t feasible due field location size. Surface the most common source f on fruit vegetable farms. Wking local shed committees better underst shed sues concerns can promote stewardship these ways improve quality f all farms in the a. Regardless the source, testing keeping test recds an imptant good agricultural practice. Municipal test results can be requested from local municipalities health departments. Well should be tested yearly especially if it the source farm drinking. Surface testing presents a bigger challenge. The levels microbial pathogens in can vary many facrs, including time year, upstream shed activities, climatic events, turbidity the, flow rates. A sample taken at one time does t represent the entire season s microbial quality, so testing recommend multiple times throughout the growing season. Multiple tests will allow you identify the average microbial quality the you using. If a particular test markedly higher than the average baseline, you should attempt determine the cause make modifications your practices reduce the rks. Testing f E.coli as an indicar fecal contamination highly recommended. Th method t fool pro but currently the best indicar. And remember, always keep test recds on file. The type method utilized also affects the rk. The best method minimize rk use drip. Th method minimizes the rk crop contamination because the edible parts most crops t wetted directly. Plant dease levels may also be reduced use efficiency maximized th method. If applying overhead, mning the best time because it maximizes use efficiency reduces leaf drying time. Rapid drying ultraviolet light will reduce survival both plant human pathogens on crops. Water dinfection also an imptant consideration f implementing an effective good agricultural practices program. If contamination occurs during production, it can be amplified in cooling wash tanks by spreading contamination from one piece all the others. Effectively dinfecting wash cooling will prevent th problem. There many commercially available dinfectants use, so contact your local extension service other agricultural consultants determine which system best f your commodities operation most affdable. Water a critical component in the production fruits vegetables. Its proper use also critical in preventing contamination produce crops. Only use potable in post harvest activities be aw the rks associated the use. The need utilize recognized implementation GAPs can reduce the exting rks. Dealing food safety sues related use complex. To facilitate review, th section broken in two separate wksheets: Irrigation Spray Water Quality On-Farm Wells. Please complete all sections applicable the use practices on your farm.
Good Agricultural s s Requiring Attention Grower Self Assessment Food Safety Rks Irrigation Spray Water Quality 1 Irrigation Spray Water Quality Adjustments Min Needed Ext; Concerns Examine Improvement: Needs Here Changes Priitize Source crops produce f Irrigation treated municipal, from ground source properly obtained in well, capped constructed, could condition, good indicar if treated readily be in detected were ganms tests. annual sourced Irrigation well. uncapped n drawn Irrigation source its kwledge quality. microbial sourced Irrigation other pond vits daily has source animals wild livesck by R O t abou kwn little source. pical f Source sprays Spray treated municipal, from ground source properly obtained in well, capped constructed, could condition, good indicar if treated readily be in detected were ganms tests. annual from sourced Spray well. uncapped an drawn Spray source its kwledge quality. microbial from sourced Spray other pond a vits daily has source animals wild livesck by R O e th about kwn little source. See Testing. ater W r Wate se U e m introduction f recommendations specific tested sources All such ganms indicr f colifms thermolerant as E.coli generic nd a D AN on kept recds these file. tested sources All UT B t recds maintained. washing f Water tested produce cooling UT B r fo No tested. t kept. recds done tests No get made attempt from results test No municipalities. kept. recds
Good Agricultural s s Requiring Attention Grower Self Assessment Food Safety Rks Irrigation Spray Water Quality 2 Irrigation Spray Water Quality Adjustments Min Needed Ext; Concerns Examine Improvement: Needs Here Changes Priitize shed Awness concerns effts findings The committees shed local kwn also It kwn. low, drawn if priity high medium shed. sues shed General specific but kwn concerns indicar including quality, kwn. t ganms, shed Potential affect concerns quality farm the on unkwn. sediment Moniring in levels f f t Water when turbidity). (high cloudy ponds Settling content sediment reduce pri crops. application kept. Recds monired turbidity Water pri may occasionally when turbidity high a have Recds. f drawn kept. produce applied Water turbid ten crops cloudy. monir made efft No turbidity the application pri content sediment reduce pri crops. application rrigation method I n o Drip crops roduce p R O w furro wetting. plant flood Overhead ground from free be kwn all on pathogens crops. produce flood Overhead sourced from source upstream kwn points. contamination flood Overhead upstream have kwn quality affect practices rks microbial increase. ackflow prevention B e valv check Anti-backflow all on installed devices systems, plumbing ext connections cross supplies. between Anti-backflow devices faucets some on installed Air connections. hose maintained. gaps anti-backflow devices No cross installed occur. may connections
Irrigation Spray Water Quality Good Agricultural s s Requiring Attention Min Adjustments Needed Concerns Ext; Examine Needs Improvement: Priitize Changes Here Use self-assessments 1 ( e.g. Farm-A-Syst ) consultants reduce negative environmental impacts farming practices An assessment farm environmental impacts has been conducted changes have been made farm practices reduce rk manure movement soil erosion from fields barnyards in courses. These recds on file. An assessment environmental impacts has helped identify problem as on the farm, effts currently being made reduce manure movement soil erosion from fields barnyards in courses. These recds on file. An assessment farm impacts on quality has identified problem as on the farm, but changes being made address these problems. There has been assessment quality impacts current farm management practices. 1. Please see Farm-A-Syst web site f additional infmation: http://www.wc.edu/farmasyst/. Grower Self Assessment Food Safety Rks Irrigation Spray Water Quality 3
Irrigation Spray Water Quality Action Plan Date: Reviewer: Field Commodity: Min Adjustment Concerns Ext Priitize Changes Here Your Plans Reduce Rks Action f Person Estimated Target Improvement Responsible Cost Date Source f produce crops Source f pical sprays Water Testing See Water Use introduction f me specific recommendations Awness shed concerns Moniring sediment levels in f Do t remove. Phocopy th master f evaluations. Irrigation Spray Water Quality Action Plan 1 2
Irrigation Spray Water Quality Date: Reviewer: Field Commodity: Min Adjustment Concerns Ext Priitize Changes Here Your Plans Reduce Rks Action f Person Estimated Target Improvement Responsible Cost Date Irrigation method Backflow prevention Use self-assessments (e.g. Farm-A-Syst 1 ) consultants reduce negative environmental impacts farming practices 1. Please see Farm-A-Syst web site f additional infmation: http://www.wc.edu/farmasyst/. Do t remove. Phocopy th master f evaluations. Irrigation Spray Water Quality Action Plan 2 2
On-Farm Wells Good Agricultural s s Requiring Attention Min Adjustments Needed Concerns Ext; Examine Needs Improvement: Priitize Changes Here Condition casing well cap (seal) Well casing has holes cracks. Cap tightly secured. Screened vent in place. Casing height me than 12" above grade. Grout seal exts between casing soil. No defects in well casing vible cap secured. Well vented, but t screened. Casing height 8 12 inches above grade. Grout seal exts between casing soil. No holes cracks vible in well casing. Cap loose. Casing height less than 8 inches above grade. No grout seal exts between casing soil. Holes cracks vible in well casing. Cap loose msing the sound running can be heard. Casing below grade, in pit cellar. Well casing depth (Verify recommended depths your local health department) Cased greater than 25 feet extends in bedrock. Cased 25 feet but t in bedrock. C ased 10 25 feet. Cased less than 10 feet. Location maintenance on-farm septic systems Municipal sewer systems serve the farm. The on-farm septic system sized appropriately, inspected pumped every 2 3 years, the leach field t located near the farm drinking well. Recds kept. The on-farm septic system t pumped inspected regularly, but the leach field t located near the farm drinking well. The septic system undersized f the user number farm size, the septic leach field located near the well. Grower Self Assessment Food Safety Rks On-Farm Wells 1
On-Farm Wells Good Agricultural s s Requiring Attention Min Adjustments Needed Concerns Ext; Examine Needs Improvement: Priitize Changes Here Position well in relation potential contamination sources Well upslope ll potential pollution sources (e.g. fertilizer pesticide srage hling as, livesck yards, septic leach fields, manure piles, fuel srages). No runf reaches well. Surface diverted from well. Well upslope from at grade potential pollution sources. No runf reaches well. Well down slope from some potential pollution sources. Some runf may reach well. Silting depression near well casing vible. Surface runf from livesck yard other pollution sources reaches well. Dtance between well potential sources contamination Me than 300 feet ny contamination source. 150 300 feet contamination source. 75 150 feet contamination source. Less than 75 feet contamination source. Backflow prevention Anti-backflow check valve devices installed on all plumbing systems, cross connections ext between supplies. Anti-backflow devices installed on some faucets hose connections. Air gaps maintained. No anti-backflow devices installed cross connections may occur. Testing quality on-farm wells Water quality tested annually, f nutrients, chemical microbial contaminants. Recds all tests on file. There has been hry microbial contamination the well. Water quality tested biannually, f nutrients, chemical contaminants microbial pathogens. Recds all tests on file. Water quality the well tested every 3 years. Recds may be kept. Water quality the well tested only occasionally, out a schedule. Recds t kept. Grower Self Assessment Food Safety Rks On-Farm Wells 2
On-Farm Wells Action Plan Date: Reviewer: Field Commodity: Min Adjustment Concerns Ext Priitize Changes Here Your Plans Reduce Rks Action f Person Estimated Target Improvement Responsible Cost Date Condition casing well cap (seal) Well casing depth (Verify recommended depths your local health department) Location maintenance onfarm septic systems Position well in relation potential contamination sources Dtance between well potential sources contamination Do t remove. Phocopy th master f evaluations. On-Farm Wells Action Plan 1 2
On-Farm Wells Action Plan Date: Reviewer: Field Commodity: Min Adjustment Concerns Ext Priitize Changes Here Your Plans Reduce Rks Action f Person Estimated Target Improvement Responsible Cost Date Backflow prevention Testing quality on-farm wells Do t remove. Phocopy th master f evaluations. On-Farm Wells Action Plan 2 2