Designing and Managing Livestock Waste Lagoons in Illinois
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship Repository 11 1 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN ACES * ^Ml <"'' ^ '^ ^ - - ' no. /5^<^ Designing and Managing Livestock Waste Lagoons in Illinois I US^A^f # ,y <- 'J u V.J -i^STTQF^li'n--":-'^' by Ted Funk, Georgios Bartzis, and Jonathan Treagust University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service Circular 1326 Designing and Managing Livestock Waste Lagoons in Illinois This circular was prepared by T. L. Funk, Extension Educator, Farm Systems, Cooperative Extension Service, College of Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Jonathan Treagust, and Georgios Bartzis, visiting scholars, Silsoe College, Silsoe, England. Introduction 1 Types of Lagoons 2 Aerobic, anaerobic, and facultative lagoons Anaerobic single-stage versus anaerobic multiple-stage lagoons Design Constraints for Proper Operation 4 Federal, state, and local regulations Loading and sludge accumulation rates Frequency of dewatering Water supply and drainage Species and expected values of manure production Soil and location Finding the Recommended Volume 6 Minimum design volume Livestock waste volume Dilution volume Determining the volume Finding the Right Dimensions 10 Depth Length-to-width ratio Side slopes Other Construction Constraints 12 Designing the earth embankment Designing the inlet and outlet Open channel versus pipe Outlet to next lagoon Designing the pumping system Placement Selecting equipment Operation and Maintenance 13 Starting up Breaking a crust Inspecting the lagoon Removing sludge Testing fertility Controlling odor Dewatering the lagoon Guaranteeing safety Worksheet Examples 15 Bibliography 17 Q(,3o 7 Introduction "^C^^ ^-fe \Vfy Growing environmental concerns and Pit systems store manure until it is returned to the land. However, where land is scarce and stringent laws controlling disposal of animal leaching levels are high, these systems may present a pollution problem. Composting and the waste and surface run-off make it more use of additives for decomposition are only important than ever that today's farmers convenient in small-scale intensive systems. Livestock waste lagoons, however, not only select the most appropriate waste-handling handle manure in the liquid form for convenience and low labor, they treat and stabilize livestock system. The type of system used will depend manure while meeting the requirements of state on economics, regulation, and the farmer's and federal law. Waste lagoon systems treat and store live- situation. Local factors such as cost, size and stock manure for disposal onto land. They also store waste water for irrigation and flushing. number of animals, soil type, and topography, Systems can be compatible with irrigation equip- ment, and they have reasonable construction and external factors such as regulations, costs and minimal fly problems. Livestock waste climate, and proximity to housing must lagoons do require periodic sludge removal and careful management to prevent the pollution of all be considered. groundwater and the emission of powerful odors. To avoid problems with odor and sludge, lagoons must be large enough for sludge to decompose biologically. Lagoons must also be loaded gradually and consistently at the start, taking care to avoid overloading. Once in full operation, a lagoon must never be pumped below the minimum design volume. The minimum design volume is the volume the lagoon requires to ensure efficient bacterial action for continuous decomposition of livestock waste manure. Waste treatment efficiency can be improved by weekly agitation, though this can increase odor problems. This agitation can be performed by a tractor-powered lagoon pump. The sides of the lagoon should also be maintained by planting grass and mowing regularly. Types of Lagoons Aerobic, anaerobic, and facultative lagoons ary cells where further treatment occurs through bacterial action and oxidation. In single-stage A livestock lagoon treats manure as a liquid, the lagoons, there is no secondary treatment. The manure having been diluted by wash water and advantage of the secondary treatment is that it runoff. The lagoon acts as a biological tank, reduces undesirable odors, and it reduces the decomposing the waste before it is utilized as a possibility that disease may be transmitted when resource in the form of irrigation liquid. The the lagoon water is used for flushing gutters. biological reaction is achieved by either anaerobic The design volume required to construct a bacteria (these bacteria are inhibited by oxygen), multiple-stage lagoon is approximately twice that aerobic bacteria (these bacteria require oxygen), or of a single-stage lagoon. Construction costs can be facultative bacteria (these bacteria decompose the cut by siting the two lagoons side by side so that waste, with or without oxygen). they share a common wall. Operators often To operate successfully, aerobic lagoons overlook the option of building a secondary cell, require shallow depths and large surface areas but the advantages may far exceed the costs, because the aerobic process requires huge especially in areas that are close to residential amounts of oxygen and sunlight. This system is buildings. impractical for many farms because large areas of Operators of single-stage lagoons who wish to flat land have to be sacrificed to accommodate it. benefit from the advantages of multiple-stage Aerobic lagoons do control sludge and odors better lagoons may add a second stage at least 50 percent than anaerobic ponds, but they may need me- of the size of the first lagoon. If the water in the chanical aerators to do so. second stage is going to be used for flushing, this Anaerobic lagoons are most commonly used size may be increased to 75 percent. This will for livestock waste treatment. They can store, leave the first stage at the minimum design dilute, and treat high loading rates of livestock volume and allow water to be taken only out of waste rather inexpensively with minimal labor the second stage (Figure and maintenance. The land area needed to con- 2). struct such a lagoon is also relatively small, making the anaerobic lagoon practical for many operations. Facultative lagoons combine the benefits of anaerobic and aerobic decomposition. In the anaerobic process, some offensive gases may be emitted, leading to odor problems. An aerator can be used to make the top of the lagoon aerobic, reducing odors. Anaerobic single-stage versus anaerobic multiple- stage lagoons Anaerobic livestock waste lagoons are divided into two categories: single-stage lagoons and multiple-stage lagoons (Figures 1 and 2). In multiple-stage lagoons, the effluent produced in the first stage or cell is transferred to the second- Figure 1. Single-cell anaerobic lagoon Length Emergence Berm Spillway Safety Volume Dilution Volume Livestock Waste Volume Total Volume Inlet Pipe Minimum Design Volume Depth SKETCH NOT TO SCALE Figure 2. Two-cell multiple-stage anaerobic lagoon 1st Stage 2nd Stage Emergence Spillway / Trickle Tube Minimum Design Volume Inlet Pipe Optional Volume For Rushing SKETCH NOT TO SCALE — Design Constraints for Proper Operation Federal, state, and local regulations operation of the lagoon and minimizes odors. Regular loading of the lagoon daily or weekly Illinois law does not require a permit for a no- — also protects against undesirable odors. In winter, discharge system such as a livestock waste when temperatures are low and waste decom- lagoon. Federal law does regulate agricultural poses more slowly, it is best to store or land-apply pollution; certain laws prevent wastes from as possible reduce entering public waters and others prevent the much manure as to the load on the lagoon. emission of strong odors. Essentially, the law Lagoon loading rates depend on the size, states that no effluent may be discharged unless number, and species of animal kept and the the discharge is a result of a specified storm; and latitude of the location. For example, a swine farm to accomplish this, the technology used must located in southern Illinois can load lagoon comply with the no-discharge limitations where a with more waste than a farm in northern Illinois with a it is economically and technically possible. If the lagoon that is the same size. Because of this system is built to discharge, a National Pollutant difference. Tables 1, 2, and 3 are provided to help Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is determine the correct volume for central, north- required. em, and southern Illinois. Current Illinois laws require that lagoons The sludge accumulation rate of a lagoon must be protected against excessive water varies with loading rates and is difficult to predict. from floods and storms. The standard used is a Cattle lagoons accumulate sludge more rapidly one-in-ten-year flood and a 25-year, 24-hour than swine lagoons. If the manure contains storm. Lagoons must have a "freeboard" or excess bedding (bedding has a slow decomposition rate), capacity adequate for such a storm. The law also the sludge accumulation rate will be higher. prohibits building a lagoon within a ten-year flood Measure the sludge accumulation rate at least plain. A lagoon cannot be sited within one-half once a year to assess the lagoon's efficiency. If mile of a populated area or within one-fourth sludge accumulates rapidly, pump it out and mile of a nonfarm residence, although there are apply it to the land, either by incorporating or exceptions to this law. Lagoons must also be built injecting it into the soil. Then refill the lagoon on soil of low permeability, or they must be with fresh water to its minimum design volume. sealed against contamination of groundwater. Frequency of dewatering Loading and sludge accumulation rates The volume of water in a lagoon increases con- To load a lagoon, fill it with water from one-third stantly due to surface runoff, water added from to one-half of its total volume.