Milking Center Wastewater Treatment

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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment
Created by Josh Appleby, MAEAP Verifier, MDA
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     Milking Center Wastewater Treatment-
Minimize water use in cleanup procedure.

• Water is the transport mechanism for moving
  contaminates.
• Less than 20 gallon per cow per milking is ideal.
• More than 50 gallon per cow per milking is
  excessive.

Milking Center Wastewater 13.1
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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment-Wash water
Example
Milking Center Wastewater 13.
Milking Center Wastewater 13.1
10 gallons per day 200 cows 2000 gallons/day
for 365 days 730,000 gallons per year
25 gallons per day 200 cows 5000 gallons/day
for 365 days 1,825,000 gallons per year
Milking Center Wastewater 13.1
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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment- Chemical,
disinfectant and antibiotic storage  
Chemical, disinfectant, and antibiotic stored in
partitioned off, protected area. Storage is
away from drains to allow recovery of spills.  
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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment- Collection
of water from plate coolers  
Plate coolers utilize water to exchange heat with
the milk. Used to pre-cool warm milk before
putting it in the milk cooler. Plate cooler
water is often used to water cows.

• Discharged to surface water with permit from DEQ.
  (non-contact cooling water)
• Safe discharged onto ground that does not flow to
  surface water is allowed.

Milking Center Wastewater 13.1
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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment- Wastewater
collection system  
All wastewater directed to a designed storage
area and waste applied to fields at agronomic
rates.

• Common collection systems
• Manure pit
• Underground storage tank emptied daily to weekly.

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Application to land at agronomic rates
Analysis or book value for wastewater nutrient
content is available and used. Application rate
should be calibrated with the crop to be
grown. Written records of applications are kept.
Milking Center Wastewater 13.1
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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment- Septic
system

• Traditional septic system
• When this system fails, it poses a surface and
  groundwater quality threat.

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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment- Septic system
Size of septic system

• Septic system needs to be designed to handle the
  volume of wastewater.
• Under size system do not allow time for break
  down of waste and cleaning materials.
• Local health department can determine leach field
  design and size.

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• What happens if a septic is not properly sized?
• Failure of system leads to potential groundwater
  contamination.
• Failure of system allows material to percolate to
  the surface causing foul odors and potentially
  allowing runoff to reach surface water.
• Failure can cause a backup of the system causing
  damage to milking parlor.
• How can you tell if the system is not properly
  sized?
• Look for signs of system failure.
• All wastewater is treated or stored.
• It is illegal for drains to lead directly
• to a tile line or drainage ditch.

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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment- Septic
system

• Removal of solids from the septic system
• Septic tank is pumped every 3 to 4
  months or more often if needed.
•  

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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment- Septic
system
All wastewater needs to be directed to septic
system or storage.
Historically dry wells or tiles leading to
surface water have been illegally used to dispose
of some wastewater while the septic is used for
other water.
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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment
Parlor cleanup practices for septic systems or
filter strips

• First pipeline rinse captured and added to barn
  manure.
• Waste milk never poured down drain.
• Manure and excess
• feed removed from
• parlor before
• wash-down.

Milking Center Wastewater 13.8
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Milking Center Wastewater TreatmentDesigned
Infiltration System

• Definition discharging wastewater uniformly onto
  a sloped grass filter strip.
• Poses little chance of surface or groundwater
  contamination if properly constructed.
• Works best on well-drained sandy loam soils with
  at least three feet to bedrock or water table
• Harvest vegetation to remove nutrients.

Milking Center Wastewater 13.9
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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment- Designed
Infiltration System

• Pretreatment for a designed, vegetated
  infiltration area.
• Properly sized settling tank, lagoon or other
  pretreatment system.
• Reduces nutrients/contaminates in waste water.

Milking Center Wastewater 13.9
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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment- Designed
Infiltration System - Pretreatment

• A settling tank removes settable and floatable
  solids and reduces treatment problems where
  liquid waste are treated on soil surface.
• Settling tank requires regular service to prevent
  overfilling with solids.

• Lack of regular emptying of pretreatment tank
  leads to premature failure of surface treatment
  systems.

Milking Center Wastewater 13.9
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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment- Designed
Infiltration System

• System designed to handle the capacity of
  wastewater generated.
• Infiltration area effectively treats the quantity
  of wastewater generated.
• Infiltration area shows no evidence of
• erosion
• wastewater Ponding
• burned vegetation.

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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment Designed
Infiltration System
Infiltration System maintenances.

• Vegetation regularly harvested.
• Accumulated solids removed if needed.

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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment Designed
Infiltration System Soil type.

• Sandy soils with high water tables are more
  likely to pose a threat to groundwater
  contamination.
• Heavier soils with slow infiltration pose a
  higher risk for water to run-off the surface and
  impact surface water.

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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment Designed
Infiltration System Distance to water well

• The greater the distance between Infiltration
  area and water well the better
• Longer amount of time for break down of
  pathogens.
• Greater area for crop uptake of nutrients.
• 300 ft. between infiltration area and water
  supply well
• is preferred.
• Greater than 75 feet is required for Type 3 water
  
• supplies (dairies and farms with hired employees).

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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment Designed
Infiltration System
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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment Designed
infiltration system a poor concept for
protecting water quality.

• Rapid infiltration system disperses waste water
  over
• sand or sandy loam soils where it quickly
  infiltrates.
• Rapid infiltration system does not provide time
  for
• adequate treatment or adsorption of
  contaminants.
• These systems are not suitable in Michigan for
• treatment of milking center waste.
• If system must be used infiltration area is at
  least 150 feet (300 ft preferred) from surface
  water or drainage ditches.

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Milking Center Wastewater Treatment Rapid surface
infiltration system
Milk parlor and milk house wastewater is managed
in a manner to prevent discharge into surface
water. Wastewater cannot be directly discharged
to a lake, drainage ditch, stream or field?
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Questions ?

• Thank You!

Created by Josh Appleby MAEAP Verifier,
MDA and Lyndon Kelley, MSU Extension
Milking Center Waste
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