Cement Water Trough

A cement water trough is a permanent water source built from concrete. It holds up to weather and to cattle leaning on the edge, and it does not rust through or get dented the way metal does.

Concrete also stays cooler in the sun than metal, which matters in a Texas summer when cattle drink less from water that gets hot.

The trade-off is weight. A cement trough is set once, on a level pad, and stays. That makes it a good fit for a permanent pen, a barn lot or a watering point where the same spot is used year after year. Plumbing runs to a float valve so the trough fills itself. Setting it on a solid pad with good drainage keeps the ground around it from turning into a bog.