Healthy Effluent Management Checklist

Keeping your effluent pond in top nick isn’t just about ticking the council’s boxes – it’s about saving on fert, boosting soil health, and making life easier on the farm. Here’s a handy checklist to keep your pond healthy and working for you.

Good dairy effluent management is a combination of having a well-designed effluent system and processes to make sure the collected effluent is applied to pasture in the right amount at the optimum time.

Benefits of good effluent management include:

Fertiliser savings
Improved soil condition
Prevention of animal-health issues
Compliance with council rules or resource consent.

A healthy pond is one that has:

Minimal or a very small sludge accumulation on the pond floor.
The solids within the pond are easily/quickly brought up into suspension when required.
Been well mixed (solids and liquids).
No dry crust or vegetation on the surface.
Safe and easily accessible.
No odour.
Contains the maximum amount of farm dairy effluent (FDE) nutrients.

Fleckvieh cows feeding on sileage On-Farm in Tasmania, Australia — Healthy Effluent Management Checklist 3

CHECKLIST

Daily

Before and after every milking, check that the stormwater or washwater diversion is in the correct position

Lined Effluent pond with Nevada Slurry Tanker — Healthy Effluent Management Checklist 4

Weekly to monthly

Clean and clear the effluent stone trap and gratings
Check that the pipes running in and out of the ponds are not blocked
Control weeds in and around ponds
Check that the fencing remains stock-proof

Six-monthly to annually

When the area around the ponds and any seepage areas are dry – graze them
Check there is not excessive build-up of solids in the anaerobic pond
Desludge the ponds regularly, when the sludge level is over half the normal effluent depth – this can be checked with a long pole.

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 pasture, contact the team at Nevada.

More Blogs

What is An Effluent Pump Used For? A Farmer’s Guide

Uncover what an effluent pump is used for and how effluent ponds benefit your farm’s ecosystem. Master management practices with Nevada today.

The Ultimate Guide to Slurry Tankers

Modern slurry tankers are now a high-tech piece of kit. Fast and efficient, they allow you to spread effluent to 90% of your farm.

Will a Bladder Tank Work For You?

What’s the best set-up for effluent storage? That’s a difficult question to answer because every farm is different.