The aim of this study was to evaluate the water quality of laying hen farms in the South of Santa Catarina and contextualize them with the report DFIP/DSA 1/2008. Water samples were collected in February, 2012, from 31 farms located in the cities of São Ludgero, Orleans, Grão Para and Braço Norte. The chemical and microbiological parameters were set out in Attachment II, in the report DFIP/DSA 1/2008. Thus, the following were analyzed: chloride, hardness, nitrate, sulfate, pH and total dissolved solids (TDS) and Escherichia coli regarding the bacteriological analysis. The suitable samples were quantified for the report DFIP/DSA 1/2008 and water quality was evaluated according to the font type and number of birds in production by analysis of variance. The results indicated that water presented suitability to SDT, chloride and sulfate. Inadequacy was found in pH (in 26% of samples), hardness (6.5%), nitrate (54.8%) and the presence of Escherichia coli (46.2%). The analysis according to the number of birds and font type showed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). It was observed that 93.5% of the samples did not fit in at least one criterion. It is concluded that the waters from farms in the southern region of SC are not fully in accordance with the report DFIP/DSA 1/2008, presenting problems with regard to pH, hardness, nitrate and E. coli; the water quality is independent of the number of birds in production and type of source that supplies the farm.
poultry production; Escherichia coli; water sources; hens; layers
