In recent years, the condition of drinking water systems in livestock production has received increasing attention. Producers, veterinarians, and technical specialists are discussing more frequently how waterline hygiene and biofilm influence water delivery and daily barn management. This growing awareness is a positive development, as clean drinking systems are a fundamental part of modern poultry and swine production, and increasingly recognized across the broader livestock sector.
Over time, drinking water lines can accumulate organic buildup and biofilm on the internal surfaces of pipelines. This buildup may affect water flow and can interfere with the consistent delivery of water-applied products such as vaccines, medications, vitamins, organic acids, and other supplements commonly used in pigs and poultry production. Maintaining clean waterlines therefore plays an important role in keeping drinking systems functioning as intended.
More than 40 years ago, Ad Kanters encountered these challenges in his own broiler house in the Netherlands. At the time, reliable methods for cleaning waterlines were limited. Many available products reacted very quickly, cleaned only the first part of the system, or were unnecessarily aggressive toward equipment.
Through practical experimentation on his own farm, Ad Kanters began developing a more controlled approach to cleaning drinking systems. The goal was straightforward: create a method capable of cleaning the entire waterline while remaining compatible with the equipment used in modern livestock production. These early efforts eventually led to the development of AgsanSol™, a stabilized hydrogen peroxide–based cleaning solution that has been further refined through decades of practical field experience.
Controlled Cleaning with Stabilized Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is known for its ability to react with organic contamination. When it decomposes, it breaks down into water and oxygen. During this process, microscopic oxygen bubbles are released that help loosen organic material from the internal surfaces of pipelines.
One challenge with standard hydrogen peroxide solutions is the speed of the reaction. Unstabilized peroxide often reacts immediately when it encounters organic material, which means much of the activity takes place near the beginning of the waterline while little active product remains further along in the system.
AgsanSol uses hydrogen peroxide that has been carefully stabilized. This stabilization slows the decomposition process, allowing the product to remain active longer and creating extended contact time throughout the drinking system. This helps the cleaning action reach the full length of the waterlines.
Because the reaction is controlled, this stabilized formulation is also less aggressive toward equipment compared with other peroxide solutions or certain combined chemical cleaning products. Aggressive reactions can contribute to wear or corrosion of system components, particularly sensitive parts such as drinking nipples. By moderating the reaction speed, stabilized formulations help reduce these risks while maintaining effective cleaning.
Continuous testing and cooperation with equipment manufacturers are an important part of monitoring these interactions. Working closely with equipment companies allows ongoing evaluation of how cleaning solutions interact with modern drinker systems and helps ensure compatibility with commonly used drinking equipment.
Organic Buildup and Biofilm
Inside waterlines, organic residues from water sources or from water-applied products can accumulate over time. These materials may contribute to the development of biofilm, a structured layer that attaches to the internal surfaces of pipelines.
Cleaning programs that focus on removing this organic layer help restore the internal condition of waterlines and support consistent water delivery throughout the barn. In practice, stabilized hydrogen peroxide solutions such as AgsanSol are used during periodic cleaning to help break down and remove this buildup.
Mineral Deposits in Well Water Situations
On farms that rely on well water, mineral deposits may also develop inside drinking systems. Iron, manganese, and calcium can gradually accumulate on the inner surfaces of pipes and drinking nipples, creating rough surfaces where organic buildup can more easily attach.
In situations where mineral deposits are present, MinexSol™ may be used as a complementary cleaning step to dissolve these deposits before performing a full waterline cleaning with AgsanSol. Removing mineral buildup can help restore smoother pipe surfaces prior to organic cleaning.
Contributing to Improved Waterline Management
The increasing attention to waterline hygiene in poultry and swine production reflects a broader effort within the livestock industry to improve management practices and system reliability. Clean waterlines help ensure that drinking systems operate consistently and that water-applied products can be delivered as intended.
We are pleased to see this topic receiving more attention and are proud to contribute to these discussion, sharing practical knowledge and supporting producers in improving drinking water system management.
For producers interested in implementing or improving waterline cleaning programs, we offer practical support at farm level. Our team can analyze water samples free of charge and provide tailored advice on how to set up a periodic cleaning program that fits the farm’s water quality and management system. These programs are designed to be practical and easy to implement under normal farm conditions.
Built on more than four decades of development and practical field experience, the approach behind AgsanSol continues to reflect a simple principle that originated on the farm: effective waterline cleaning requires solutions that remain active long enough to reach the entire system while remaining compatible with the equipment used every day in livestock production.
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