Milking Center Wastewater Treatment - TWONtwon.tamu.edu/media/385838/reducing risk of ground... ·...

Milking Center Wastewater Treatment

Dairy wastewater is usually considered adairy sanitation problem. If not carefully man-aged, however, dairy wastewater can contami-nate both ground water and surface water.The amount of wastewater generated varieswith milking preparation, equipment use, andthe number of cows.

Milking center wastewater is contaminatedwith organic matter, nutrients, chemicals andmicroorganisms. Poorly designed or misman-aged waste disposal systems can contaminatewater with ammonia, nitrate, phosphorus,detergents and disease-causing organisms.These contaminants can be carried directly to awell or cause ground water or surface waterpollution. Surface water also can be affected bymanure, milk solids, ammonia, phosphorus,and detergents. Wastewater from the dairymilking center is made up of waste from themilking parlor (manure, feed solids, hoof dirt,bulk tank rinse water and detergent used incleaning), and should be collected in a wastestorage facility.

From an environmental perspective, deliver-ing milking center wastewater to a waste stor-age facility makes the most sense. Dischargingit from channels, lagoons, ditches, pipes or irri-gation systems is illegal. It is also illegal underTexas Natural Resources ConservationCommission (TNRCC) regulations to allowwastewater to be discharged off your property.

A glossary at the back of this publicationwill assist with terminology. This publicationcovers the following topics:

1. Combining wastes

2. Application methods

3. Slow surface infiltration

Combining Wastes

When milking center wastes are combinedwith manure a common disposal system can beused for both types of waste. A liquid manurestorage facility, properly constructed and sized,can store wastes until they can be applied atthe right time to the right sites (see Figure 1).

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Inlet

Pump

Transfer

3 or 411

2

1'-2'Freeboard

12' minDrive

Fence around storage

Diversion terrace

Figure 1a. Earth basins for manure and dairy wastewater storage. Source: Dairy and Equipment Housing Handbook, MWPS-7,Midwest Plan Service, Ames, Iowa.

The best disposal method, environmentally,is to apply milking center wastes with manureto fields, at rates that do not exceed crop needsfor nitrogen. However, the producer must becareful to keep soil phosphorus levels frombecoming excessive.

Milking center wastewater combined withfeedlot runoff or leachate (from manure stor-age) can be stored in a detention pond. Thecontents of the pond can be applied to fieldswhen conditions are appropriate.

Application Methods

Any application of wastes to the soil surfaceshould be based on the nutrient needs of thecrop to be planted, as determined by a soilanalysis. Nutrients in waste reduce the needfor commercial fertilizer.

Dairy wastewater can be applied to croplandand pastures by irrigation equipment. Or,pipes with sprinklers can be permanentlyinstalled to spray wastewater over a certain

area consistently. Determine the applicationrate by:

1) the soil’s ability to absorb the liquid in thewastes; and

2) the amounts of nutrients that can be usedby vegetation, with periodic harvesting ofthe crop produced.

Do not saturate any area with wastewaterbecause that can allow rapid percolation ofcontaminants to ground water or runoff to sur-face water.

Milking center wastewater applied to crop-land at low rates poses little danger to groundwater because it is filtered by the soil and usedby plants. To maximize the efficiency of thissystem, harvest the crop or other vegetationperiodically and feed it to livestock, if appro-priate, or use it as bedding. If the crop is lefton the ground, nutrients may still move intoground water. Forest, windbreak or wood lotapplication may also be suitable, in which caseharvesting is not necessary.

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SettlingTank

Lot

IrrigationPump

RunoffDisposal

HoldingPond

Figure 1b. Detention pond for storage of dairy wastewater and livestock yard runoff. Source: Dairy and Equipment HousingHandbook, MWPS-7, Midwest Plan Service, Ames, Iowa.

Milking Center Inlet Pipe

Spreader Stripor Pipe fordistribution

Vigorousuniform

growth ofgrass.

Fence to exclude

livestock.

Top View

Grass Filter Bed

0% Slope

Uniform Slope�1/2% to 5%

Figure 2. Surface flow (overland). Source: Dairy ManureManagement-Handling Milk Center Wastes, Northeast DairyPractices Council 27.B. October 1977.

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5-8 ft.

Subsurface drain

A

A

Switchback

Diversion

Wastewater

Figure 3b. 1-2% infiltration terrace. Source: Milking CenterWastewater Disposal,Manure Management for EnvironmentalProtection, Document DM7, Pennsylvania Department ofEnvironmental Resources, October 1986.

All ends of terraces closed

Terrace ridge

Terrace bottom

Terrace bottom

Terrace ridge

All terrace ridges must be level throughout length

8'-16'

Design area between top and bottom terraces should be equal to 5 sq. ft. per gallon of waste per day

Locate treatment area near top of slope or install diversion for surface runoff

Terrace spacing varies with topography and contours

Sewage ejector or discharge pipe with erosion protection

Diversion for surface water

Figure 3a. Contour terraces. Source: Treatment and Disposal of Milkhouse and Milking Parlour Wastes, D.W. Bates and R.E.Machmeier, University of Minnesota Agricultural Extension Service, M-159-1977.

Minimum AreaMilking Center Wastes Ð 50 square feet per cowRunoff Ð 50 square feet per cubic foot of runoff

Width 1 1Length

=2

to1

Wherever wastewater is applied, the reten-tion structure must be large enough to handleseveral days’ production of milking centerwastes so that no application area becomes sat-urated. Alternating between two waste disposalareas is a good way to allow an area adequatetime to dry out.

Evaluation Table

The following table can be used to help agri-cultural producers and rural homeowners

determine the risk level that drinking water ona given property will become contaminated asa result of the management practices beingused. For each category listed on the left that isappropriate, read across to the right and circlethe statement that best describes conditions onyour land. Allow 15 to 30 minutes to completethe worksheet, and skip any categories that donot apply. Note any high risk ratings and takeappropriate actions to remedy them. Strive forall low or low-moderate risk ratings.

Milking Center Wastewater Treatment: Assessing Drinking Water Contamination RiskLow Risk Low-Moderate Risk Moderate-High Risk High Risk

No Discharge Methods

All wastewater to Wastewater delivered Wastewater deliv-manure storage with directly to liquid __________ __________ ered to leakingwaste applied to manure storage. No manure storage.fields discharge expected.

Total evaporation Lined lagoon profess- Lined lagoon profess- Lagoon lined but not No liner, no main-lagoons ionally designed. ionally designed. Not maintained. Less tenance. Less

Regularly maintained. maintained. More than than 300 feet from than 300 feet from More than 300 feet 300 feet from well. well. well.from well.

Milking cleanup First pipeline rinse Waste milk sometimes Waste milk frequently All waste milk practices captured and added poured down drain. poured down drain. poured down

to barn manure. Manure and excess Manure and excess drain. Manure and Waste milk never feed usually removed feed often washed excess feed fre-poured down drain. before washdown. down drain. quently washedManure and excess down drain. feed always removed before washdown.

Pretreatment method Includes solids Some solids separa- No storage or set-separator and lagoon __________ tion by storage and tling. Untreatedstorage. settling. wastewater dis-

charged to soil.

Location of Disposal Areas

Distance from More than 250 feet More than 250 feet Less than 250 down- Less than 250drinking water downslope from well. upslope from well. slope from well. feet upslope from

well.

Glossary

Aerial application: Method of field applica-tion using pressurized sprinkler nozzles tobroadcast wastewater in droplet form to thesoil.

Field application: Application of wastewaterto croplands and pastures by irrigationditches or equipment.

Slab separator: A type of settling tank usedfor removing fine particles and sand fromwastewater prior to pumping into a holdingtank or lagoon.

Slow surface irrigation: Application of waste-water to level or gently sloping fields toprovide nutrients for actively growingcrops.

Soil permeability: The quality that enablesthe soil to transmit water or air. Fine(heavy) soils such as clay are slowly perme-able. Coarse (light) soils such as sand arehighly permeable.

Solids separator: A screen apparatus overwhich milkhouse wastewater slurry ispassed, allowing liquids and fine particlesto pass through while retaining largersolids.

Milking Center Wastewater Treatment: Assessing Drinking Water Contamination Risk

Low Risk Low-Moderate Risk Moderate-High Risk High Risk

Application Methods

Irrigation application System professionally Sprinkler system pro- Not a professionally Not a profession-designed and con- fessionally designed designed system. ally designed sys-structed. Nitrogen and constructed. Nitro- Nitrogen levels not tem. Nitrogen levels of effluent regu- gen levels sometimes regularly checked or levels not check-larly checked and checked and credited credited to waste ed or credited tocredited to waste to waste utilization. utilization plan. Veg- crop fertilizerutilization plan. Dis- Vegetation removed etation regularly re- plan. No dis-charged to growing on a regular basis. moved. No soil test. charge plan. Veg-crop on a regular Soil test performed. etation not remov-basis. Vegetation ed. No soil test.regularly removed. Annual soil tests.

OR

Surface irrigation Combined with high- Combined with high- Some pretreatment No pretreatment.level pretreatment. level pretreatment. Medium- or fine tex- One foot of medi-Medium- or fine-tex- Medium- or fine-tex- tured soil (silt loam, um- or fine-tex-tured soil (silt loam, tured soil (silt loam, loam, clay loams, tured soil (silt loam, clay loams, loam, clay loams, clay) more than 2 loam, loam, clayclay), more than 10 clay), more than 3 feet over bedrock or loams, clay)feet to water table or feet to water table or high water table. above bedrock orbedrock. Extended bedrock. Extended Vegetation not high water table.rest period between rest period between removed. No soil Vegetation notloadings. Vegetation loadings. Vegetation test. removed. No soilremoved. Annual soil removed. Annual soil test.test. test.

Contacts and References

Who to call about certain problems or ques-tions:

★ Potential ground water contaminationfrom your milking center wastewater:Your county Extension agent, your localNatural Resource Conservation Service, orthe Texas State Soil and WaterConservation Board.

★ Financial assistance for the cost of newwaste handling facilities: Your countyConsolidated Farm Service Agency,Natural Resource Conservation Service, orTexas State Soil and Water ConservationBoard.

★ Review of construction plans: To be surethat water quality regulations are beingmet, contact the Texas Natural ResourceConservation Commission (512) 239-1000.

★ Securing a permit: Before committing to anew facility, contact the Texas State Soiland Water Conservation Board (817) 773-2250.

★ Designing a wastewater treatment system:The Natural Resource ConservationService, private consultants, or theAgricultural Engineering Department,Texas A&M University, College Station(409) 845-7451.

The TEX*A*Syst program is sponsored by the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency under Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.Funds for this program are administered by the Texas State Soil andWater Conservation Board’s Agricultural/Silvicultural NonpointSource Management Program.

TEX*A*Syst is a series of publications to help rural residents assess the risk of ground water pollution, and to describeBest Management Practices (BMPs) that can help protect ground water. The TEX*A*Syst documents were developedfrom the national Farm*A*Syst ground water protection program. The TEX*A*Syst system is designed to help the userlearn more about the environment, existing environmental policies and regulations, and recommended managementpractices. Thus, the user can voluntarily reduce the pollution risks associated with water wells.

TEX*A* Syst materials were edited by Anna Schuster Kantor, and reviewed by M.C. Dozier and the personnel of theUSDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Department ofAgriculture, Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, Texas Water Development Board, Texas State Soil andWater Conservation Board, Texas Water Resources Institute, and Texas Farm Bureau. Editorial and formatting assis-tance were provided by the Department of Agricultural Communications, The Texas A&M University System.

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