Agricultural wastewater treatment

Agricultural wastewater treatment is a farm management agenda for controlling pollution from confined animal operations and from surface runoff that may be contaminated by chemicals in fertilizer, pesticides, animal slurry, crop residues or irrigation water. Agricultural wastewater treatment is required for continuous confined animal operations like milk and egg production. It may be performed in plants using mechanized treatment units similar to those used for industrial wastewater. Where land is available for ponds, settling basins and facultative lagoons may have lower operational costs for seasonal use conditions from breeding or harvest cycles.^[1]^: 6–8 Animal slurries are usually treated by containment in anaerobic lagoons before disposal by spray or trickle application to grassland. Constructed wetlands are sometimes used to facilitate treatment of animal wastes.

Nonpoint source pollution includes sediment runoff, nutrient runoff and pesticides. Point source pollution includes animal wastes, silage liquor, milking parlour (dairy farming) wastes, slaughtering waste, vegetable washing water and firewater. Many farms generate nonpoint source pollution from surface runoff which is not controlled through a treatment plant.

Farmers can install erosion controls to reduce runoff flows and retain soil on their fields.^[2]^[3]^{: pp. 4-95–4-96} Common techniques include contour plowing, crop mulching, crop rotation, planting perennial crops and installing riparian buffers.^[4]^[3]^{: pp. 4-95–4-96} Farmers can also develop and implement nutrient management plans to reduce excess application of nutrients^[4]^[3]^{: pp. 4-37–4-38} and reduce the potential for nutrient pollution. To minimize pesticide impacts, farmers may use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques (which can include biological pest control) to maintain control over pests, reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, and protect water quality.^[5]

^ Reed, Sherwood C. (1988). Natural systems for waste management and treatment. E. Joe Middlebrooks, Ronald W. Crites. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-051521-2. OCLC 16087827.
^ "Erosion". Washington, DC: US Natural Resources Conservation Service. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
^ ^a ^b ^c Cite error: The named reference EPA-agmm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Washington, DC. "National Conservation Practice Standards." National Handbook of Conservation Practices. Accessed 2015-10-02.
^ "Integrated Pest Management Principles". Pest Control and Pesticide Safety for Consumers. EPA. 2017-06-27.

[1] Reed, Sherwood C. (1988). Natural systems for waste management and treatment. E. Joe Middlebrooks, Ronald W. Crites. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-051521-2. OCLC 16087827.

[2] "Erosion". Washington, DC: US Natural Resources Conservation Service. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2020-11-19.

[EPA-agmm-3] Cite error: The named reference EPA-agmm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[NRCS-NCPS-4] U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Washington, DC. "National Conservation Practice Standards." National Handbook of Conservation Practices. Accessed 2015-10-02.

[5] "Integrated Pest Management Principles". Pest Control and Pesticide Safety for Consumers. EPA. 2017-06-27.

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