Spreading effluent has increased crop harvest by 20%
The decision to start spreading effluent across his whole farm has been a huge success for Jamie Harris.
Equipment Term: Effluent Storage
What Type of Effluent Storage is Best?
Effluent Storage Effluent storage on New Zealand dairy farms refers to specially designed systems—such as HDPE-lined ponds, above-ground tanks, or bladder tanks—that safely contain farm dairy effluent until it can be effectively applied to pasture. These solutions play a pivotal role in ensuring council compliance, reducing environmental risk, and improving operational efficiency. Broader capacity not […]
How Do You Get a Pond Stirrer to Pay for Itself?
A Nevada pond stirrer is a great investment to help you make the most of your dairy effluent. Find out how regular stirring can actually save you a heap of money by improving the nutrient levels of your effluent and maximising your storage capacity.
Liz Saved $30,000 in Fert
On-Farm in the Bay of Plenty with Liz Hodgson. Hear how Liz, reduced stress
and saved over $30K on fertiliser.
Effluent Storage Showdown
In this showdown of dairy effluent storage facilities, let’s take a look at a hypothetical scenario of a dairy farm based in South Taranaki where the size effluent bladder tank required is 500,000 litres. We’ll walk through the differences and benefits of lined ponds, bladder tanks, and above ground tanks that can help improve efficiency. […]
How to Stir an Above Ground Tank
When using the jet method, it only stirs the bottom of the tank and not the top. Jets can get blocked and a high volume pump, that uses a lot of electrical power is required to operate the jets. Over-The-Wall Effluent Stirrers The best approach to stir an above-ground tank is with an over-the-wall stirrer. […]
Best Set Up for a Sump
The Best Set Up for a Sump A sump can be placed between a cow shed and a storage facility, normally about 20 metres away from the cow shed and would lead to a concrete sump of 20,000 litres or more. From that sump, there can be two pumps put in place, one to pump […]
Which Effluent Storage do I Need?
When looking at the amount of effluent storage you need for your dairy farm, it is recommended to go larger in size to future proof operations. If there is a plan for growth in the future, or if operations change hands, it creates long-term value on the property for dairy effluent management. It also can […]
Why is it Important to Stir Effluent Storage?
Is it important to stir effluent storage? The answer to that is YES and it is more important than people realise when it comes to efficiently managing effluent in a way that streamlines operations. The first reason you need to stir the pond or effluent storage facility is to make the best use of […]
Why Do Effluent Ponds Get Crusty?
Wondering why the effluent ponds get crusty on your farm? Effluent crust is particularly a problem during the summer. The organic matter can dry out quickly, leaving weeds to germinate and grow to form a thicker crust. In the past, the traditional method was to manage the crust by allowing the biology in the pond […]
How to Stir an Effluent Bladder Tank
Remove stones and sand before they reach your effluent bladder tank In order for a bladder tank to run effectively, it needs to have the sand, stones and grit removed from the effluent stream before it reaches the tank. Utilising stone traps are a vital part of an effective effluent system to remove any grit […]
On Farm with Alan Coburn in South Taranaki
To spread effluent further down the farm, Alan invested in a Nevada 12,800L Tandem Slurry Tanker to complete his effluent system design.
How Often Should an Effluent Pond be Stirred?
Why It’s Important To Stir Effluent Stirring your effluent pond storage thoroughly allows for everything to stay in suspension. This keeps solids from crusting on the top and developing weed growth, or creating a hard layer at the bottom that can become almost impossible to break up. It is especially important to stir thoroughly if […]
Why Stone Trap Maintenance is Critical
If your stone trap is not maintained or set up correctly, the rest of your effluent system will suffer: Stone traps work by slowing down the effluent flowing into storage, allowing heavy solids to drop out of suspension. To do this the inlet and outlet pipes need to be staggered. Double stone traps further filter […]
Effluent Storage: Ponds vs Bladder Tanks
Flow to the Effluent Storage The best practice for effluent management is for it to flow by gravity to the storage, whether it be a pond or bladder tank. This is possible with a bladder tank if there is enough fall. Gravity flow is more efficient and reliable, ensuring that effluent moves easily from the […]
Stephen’s Simple Effluent Storage Solution
Stephen knows that any investment is worth researching if you want the right results. This proved true when his dairy farm needed additional effluent storage…
The Truth about Crusting Inside Effluent Bladder Tanks
But the good news is that crusting inside effluent bladder tanks is not the same as in open storage. Since the bladder is closed, there is no exposure to air and sunlight, so the solids do not dry out and form a hard crust, and no weeds will grow. However, crust can still form in […]
What Pumps are Needed for Effluent Bladders?
The good news is that with the right pump connected to your effluent bladder, you can easily irrigate your fields and keep your effluent well-mixed, without breaking the bank on energy costs. Firstly, it’s important to note that you might need two pumps for your effluent bladder tank: one for irrigation and one for agitation. […]
How to Choose the Right Size Effluent Bladder Tank
Their are few things to think about when choosing the right size effluent bladder tank for storage on your farm. Understanding Your Farm When you get someone in to calculate your storage requirements make sure they have a good understanding of how your farm operates. A storage calculator will assume you take every opportunity to […]
Mixing & Draining Effluent Bladder Tanks: What You Need to Know…
Effluent bladder tanks have become one of the key components of many dairy effluent management systems. With a multitude of benefits, they allow farmers to efficiently store, manage and utilise their effluent nutrients. However, to ensure that your effluent system is functioning at its best, it’s essential to keep your effluent bladder tank properly mixed […]
Effluent Bladders – What Happens if they Leak?
Nevada Effluent Bladder Tanks are made from strong, tear-resistant materials that are designed to withstand the weight and pressure of the effluent they contain. Effluent Bladder tanks can actually be stronger than steel tanks with liners The unique difference between an effluent bladder tank and a steel effluent tank is the integral strength of the […]
Bladder Tanks See Increased Popularity with Farmers
Why are farmers choosing bladder tanks for effluent storage? Aside from the typical benefits of easy installation, portability and safety, here’s some of the common reasons farmers are choosing bladder tanks for effluent storage: Additional Sump Storage Lots of farmers have a pumping system with a sump that handles most of the effluent storage but […]
Above Ground Tanks – Keep Your Effluent Well Mixed
Pumps alone are insufficient for dealing with effluent – particularly floating solids. If the effluent is left, or not mixed well enough, solids accumulate at the bottom of the form a crust on top where weeds can grow, making it difficult to harvest and grow grass…basically it can turn into a mess. Other issues include: […]
Effluent Bladder Tank Best Practices
Don’t overfill Understandably all bladder tanks have a maximum filling point which must be adhered to or risk a big clean-up. Best practice is to have a level indicator to warn when the bladder is getting close to maximum capacity so you can stop pumping into it or divert effluent into a secondary bladder or […]
3 Labour Saving Tips for Effluent Management
Here’s some labour saving tips for farm effluent management… Effluent Storage Make sure you’ve got PLENTY of effluent storage. Without adequate storage you’re forced to spread frequently. Having a pond with plenty of storage, or a bladder tank available means you can defer irrigation and utilise staff better. Expanding or installing more storage doesn’t have […]
Do Effluent Systems add Value to your Farm?
If you’re wanting to get the best price for your farm, you’re likely wanting to target people who are wanting to buy a dairy farm. In general, people wanting to convert property into something else are more likely to be hunting for a bargain. With farms coming up for sale reasonably regularly, it can be […]
Keep up the PondBugs™ Over Winter
On the lead up to winter many farmers aim to empty or lower their effluent storage levels in preparation for the wet dormant season where spreading isn’t an option. In doing this you’re also removing much of the bugs, or good bacteria that had accumulated in the effluent being stored. This is why one of […]
Why work with Accredited Effluent Management System Designers?
Why do I Need an Accredited Effluent Management System Designer You may be wondering what the big deal is – can’t the guy that installed the cow shed set up our effluent system? Well, it’s possible your local ‘go-to’ will be ‘in-the-know’ of all the rules and regulations of effluent management, but if it’s not […]
Is my Existing Effluent Pond/Storage ok?
At the heart of any well-designed effluent management system is the effluent pond/storage, and with tightening council rules and regulations we’re frequently getting asked to assess whether existing storage is “ok” to use. As accredited farm dairy effluent designers we’re always happy to help and advise on your situation, but if you’re wanting to do […]
PondBugs™ Are A Win For Jason!
Jason continues to use PondBugs as an environmentally friendly, natural solution for keeping his effluent pond healthy and crust free…
Best Practices for Managing Effluent and Stormwater
Here’s our advice for managing effluent and stormwater… Is stormwater bad for effluent ponds? There’s a lot of information stating stormwater has a negative effect on effluent storage, decreasing their efficiency. This is true for oxidisation ponds, but not the case for regular effluent ponds used in land application. Oxidisation or treatment ponds are being […]
Top 10 Effluent Management Predictions for 2022
At Nevada, sustainable dairy effluent management is more than just waste disposal—it’s about turning farm by‑products into value. So what’s install for 2022… Council Compliance Yes, in all likelihood dairy farmers will face further updates and new rules and regulations to follow in 2022. While it might seem like the government has a vendetta against […]
Richard was Determined to Get His Effluent System Right
After taking a keen interest in the effluent management system installed on a friend’s farm, Richard took their advice and gave Nevada a call…
Are PondBugs™ just the Latest Fad?
What are PondBugsTM? PondBugsTM are live organisms that when added to your effluent pond/storage work to promote biological activity. They are like a multi-vitamin for your pond, helping to digest the organic matter making the effluent more consistent, better for pumping, and providing a faster release of nutrients back into the soil when spread. Who […]
New Effluent System Opportunity For Waimacher Farms
Aaron’s vision was to create an efficient effluent management system for maximising flexibility on the farm.
Effluent Pond Lining: What You Need to Know
Do I need to line my effluent pond? If it’s leaking, pond lining will be your best option for fixing that up. Signs of leaking may be patches of consistently damp ground with very green grass, or ponding. However leaking can occur without any noticeable signs. A lot of dairy farmers are choosing to line […]
Is a Bladder Tank the Right Choice?
When is a bladder tank the right choice? One of the main features of a bladder tank is that it provides a closed effluent storage solution. The benefits of closed storage is that there’s no risk of oxidation, external contamination, evaporation, or people falling in! Bladder tanks are also transportable and earthquake resistant. This makes […]
How to Maximise the Value of Your Effluent Pond Nutrients
Stir well, achieve more If effluent is left sitting in a pond or tank the solids will inevitably sink to the bottom and crust and debris will form on the top, separating out the essential nutrients. To maximise the value of your effluent it is vital the effluent is thoroughly mixed prior to pumping to […]
Ricky’s Pond Crust Gets Obliterated!
Ricky’s results are a testament to the difference the right pond stirrer makes…
Best Practices for Managing Effluent
Best practices for managing effluent doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. With the right setup for storage and spreading, you can stay council compliant, protect your land, and make life easier – all while making the most of your farm’s natural nutrients. For a start, there’s really only two components of an effluent management […]
Effluent Sumps – Additional Storage Solutions
If this sounds like you, and all you need is more effluent storage – keep reading! Effluent Sumps Contrary to popular belief, an above ground tank is not the only solution, and also not always the best solution to extra sump storage. Below are 3 possible solutions, and as always, if you’d like recommendations for […]
Effluent Ponds and Storage – What Size do I Need?
Getting a new effluent pond or storage solution is one of those things you want to get right the first time. 1. Don’t make it the bare minimum size Cost is often a determining factor when looking at the effluent storage size you want to put in, so a lot of farmers start off looking […]
How You can Avoid Wasting Money on Your Effluent Pond
Effluent ponds are full of nutrients The nutrients found in your effluent pond can be added back into the soil in order to improve pasture yield. When spreading effluent, there is the very real risk that nutrients could be overloaded or underutilised. Too much effluent, and you risk: Because of this, farmers are often underutilising […]
Healthy Effluent Management Checklist
Benefits of good effluent management include: A healthy pond is one that has: CHECKLIST Daily Weekly to monthly Six-monthly to annually We’re here to help you get the best out of your effluent management For more advice on how to maximise your effluent pond and how to get the best quality effluent back onto your […]
Does your effluent pond fill too fast because of high rainfall?
Are you experiencing problems with your effluent pond because of record rainfall? There are several factors that might be contributing to this problem, and we’ve outlined some below. There may be a simple solution to help you manage an unexpected capacity, but you need to act quickly to avoid compliance issues with effluent polluting waterways. […]
Frank no longer needs to remove solids from his dairy effluent
Frank was looking to maximise efficiency and cut down costs, so he contacted Nevada.
Effluent Pond Size – Is Bigger Really Better?
If your effluent pond can’t store enough, you risk over-irrigating your soil, resulting in surface runoff or direct drainage – bad for your soil and plants, and extremely bad if it results in non-compliance. On the other hand, if your effluent pond is too large, you’ll be maintaining a system that’s bigger than requirements, resulting […]
How much effluent storage do you need?
On the other side, Dairy farming is very susceptible to dry weather, and droughts. It’s at these times the pasture can really do with a good dose of nutrients. Effluent, really well mixed with water, is a great tool to maximising pasture growth, and it’s pretty cost effective since you’re producing it all year round! […]
Luke’s Effluent Storage Is Sorted
Discover how Nevada helped a Waikato dairy farmer upgrade their effluent storage system, ensuring compliance and future-proofing their farm. Read their success story.
Working out the Appropriate Size for your Effluent Pond
Making sure the effluent pond is the correct size helps to ensure efficient and sustainable effluent management. If your pond can’t store enough effluent, you risk over-irrigating your soil, resulting in surface runoff or direct drainage – bad for your soil and plants, and extremely bad if it results in non-compliance. On the other hand, […]
Effluent Storage: Importance of Safety on the Farm
Let’s not be casual about safety on the farm. We must take all practicable steps to prevent staff, contractors or even visitors to the farm from having a tragedy. Due to the possible severe consequences and ever increasing importance it is critical that farmers, regardless of their role, take an honest assessment as to ‘what’ […]
How to Control Effluent Pond Odour
While there isn’t much you can do about the smell of effluent (after all, it is literally made of crap), there are things you can do to help lower the pond odour. There have been several cases in New Zealand of farms installing effluent ponds close to neighbours, resulting in lowered property prices and complaints […]
