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 it yourself here’s some advice…

Council Compliance

For a start you’ll want to look at the basic requirements of being council compliant:

• Is your pond more than 45 metres away from the cow shed? This is a must.
• Is your pond/storage large enough to hold all your effluent during times where irrigating is not possible? Online storage calculators can help provide a general guide for effluent storage requirements; however, we recommend having more than the minimum – find out more about storage size here.
• Does it leak? Having a leaking effluent pond is a no no. Not all leaks are going to be obvious, so check around your pond for any mushy areas. If in doubt, best to get it lined – this isn’t just for council compliance, but keep in mind if your pond is at ground-water level, not only will the effluent leak into the water, but groundwater will leak into your pond, filling it up and reducing capacity. So it’s in your best interests to ensure there are no leaks.

Efficiency

Not only do council rules and regulations change, but so do farms. Your cow numbers may have increased, you may have acquired the farm next door, got a new cow shed, no longer have discharge consent…there are a lot of ways a farm can evolve over time, and this can all have an impact on the viability of your existing effluent storage.

Efficiency plays a big part in the suitability of your existing effluent storage because an inefficient system will cost you over the long term – time, labour, added expenses. Here’s some of the things to consider in terms of efficiency:

• Is your effluent pond/storage in a suitable location? Ideally it should be central to the farm and in a place that doesn’t cost to much to run power to for pumping/stirring.
• Does the effluent flow into the pond via gravity? While this isn’t always possible, it is the best set-up to have. This way you are not reliant on power and don’t have the extra expense of having to use it.
• Are you having to get a contractor in to empty the pond? Some farms that have discharge consent can get away with getting a contractor in once a year to empty the pond, however without discharge consent you may find the need to have a contractor in 3 or 4 times a year. In this case it can be more cost effective to increase your storage capacity.

Making Adjustments

If you’re thinking your effluent storage is going to need some adjustments, or a restructure, there are lots of cost-effective options:

• Effluent ponds can be dug out for more capacity – councils do deem this as a new installation, so the pond will require lining after a resize.
• Secondary/emergency storage can be installed for when it is needed – for example a bladder tank or second pond.
• Old ponds or sumps can be re-purposed if a new pond is needed in a different location.
  If an old oxidation pond has been well designed this can often be re-purposed for use as an effluent storage pond.

Every situation is different, so if you’re looking for advice on the best outcome for your effluent management system, give us a call. Nevada are accredited farm dairy effluent system designers with over 30 years’ experience and we’re always up for a challenge!