Case study of a commercial broiler farm in the US utilizing a rainwater harvesting system to offset water costs

Authors: EDGE, CARSON - Auburn University; DAVIS, JEREMIAH - Auburn University; CAMPBELL, JESSE - Auburn University; Purswell, Joseph; SIMPSON, EUGENE - Auburn University

Submitted to: Applied Engineering in Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/12/2026
Publication Date: 2/12/2026
Citation: Edge, C.M., Davis, J.D., Campbell, J.C., Purswell, J.L., Simpson, E.H. 2026. Case study of a commercial broiler farm in the US utilizing a rainwater harvesting system to offset water costs. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 42(1), 147-157. https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.16519.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.16519

Interpretive Summary: Broiler producers must have access to sufficient water supplies to maintain the health and well-being of broilers (meat-type chickens). Currently, the only water sources available to broiler producers are well water and municipal water. In areas of broiler production that rely on well water, producers can experience issues with low-yield or poor water quality, which can cause damage to equipment and become expensive to treat. Producers who have access to municipal water can have a more reliable water source; however, in some areas of the U.S., water rates have increased. This has been the experience for broiler producers in Cullman, AL, where the city water department announced customers would see increased water rates beginning in 2015. In anticipation of increased rates, a rainwater harvesting (RWH) system was constructed in 2016 on a four-house commercial broiler farm in Cullman to help offset rising water costs. While the producer has seen their monthly water bill decrease, the system was not able to distinguish between when measure rainwater use (RWU) and municipal water use (MWU). Knowing the amount of rainwater the producer used would allow for a more accurate estimation and understanding of the economic benefit this RWH system provides. Daily MWU and RWU were monitored over a 12-month period in 2024 for six broiler flocks. Total water use (TWU) during production was 1.9 million gal, where MWU represented 45% and RWU represented 55% of TWU, with an estimated cost savings of $17,016 over the study period. Results from this study suggest RWH could provide an economic and water conservation benefit that could be used by other broiler producers experiencing increased water costs. Producer feedback on the system operation and performance has been crucial in understanding where design changes could be made to improve the system and how important regular monitoring and maintenance was to achieve system performance and economic savings.

Technical Abstract: Broiler producers must have access to sufficient water supplies to maintain the health and well-being of broilers (meat-type chickens). Currently, the only water sources available to broiler producers are well water and municipal water. In areas of broiler production that rely on well water, producers can experience issues with low-yield or poor water quality, which can cause damage to equipment and become expensive to treat. Producers who have access to municipal water can have a more reliable water source; however, in some areas of the U.S., water rates have increased. This has been the experience for broiler producers in Cullman, AL, where the city water department announced customers would see increased water rates beginning in 2015. In anticipation of increased rates, a rainwater harvesting (RWH) system was constructed in 2016 on a four-house commercial broiler farm in Cullman to help offset rising water costs. While the producer has observed a reduction in their monthly water bill, the system did not include an effective way of measuring rainwater use (RWU) and municipal water use (MWU). Therefore, the goal of this study was to provide a description of the RWH system and to evaluate system performance by monitoring daily MWU and RWU over a 12-month period in 2024. Daily MWU and RWU were monitored across six consecutive flocks from Jan. 12, 2024 to Jan. 3, 2025 using wireless ultrasonic water meters. Total water use (TWU) during production was 7,267,625 L, where MWU represented 45% (3,250,570 L) and RWU represented 55% (4,017,056 L) of TWU, with an estimated cost savings of $17,016 over the study period. Producer feedback on the system operation and performance has been crucial in understanding where design changes could be made to improve the system and how important regular monitoring and maintenance was to achieve system performance.