DNR issues permit for dairy to discharge treated wastewater

[Farmer Kitty]

A dairy farm here in WI has a machine that will separate the solids and the water in manure. Here is the article about it: DNR issues permit for dairy to discharge treated wastewater and another Another version of same story

What I don't understand, and haven't since they started talking about it, is if the water is back to drink quality, why don't they use it instead of dumping it?

 

[Thewife]

Maybe it's the thought that counts!
I know they use reclaimed water in a town near here, for irrigating the parks. There are signs up everywhere, warning people!

Would that be an area that they could use it to irrigate?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Being that it's a dairy farm I doubt that they irrigate their crops. That is very expensive and most of those systems have wells they get the water from now.

 

[wynedot55]

kitty the water has been cleaned to the gov standards.thus making it clean enough to release back into the watershed.thus cleaning the water even more.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I realize it's to goverment standards but, they say it's driniking water quality so I wonder why they just don't use it. I guess maybe it needs more cleaning the natural way. It's not easy to get the DNR to allow something like that here. I would have thought it would have been easier to reuse it. Of course, maybe it's also more water cleaned than they can use.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

They said on the radio this morning that it took 3 years to get the permit. In the process the farmer told the DNR that he would pour two glasses of water. One of theirs (I'm assuming well water) and one of his (from the machine). They could drink their's and he would drink his. They didn't appreciate it.

There is suppose to be an interview coming up on the radio's farm show. Hopefully, I can catch it. It is a great idea with less storage space needed and less chances of runoff into the natural water ways. I'm just really curious as to why they don't use the water. Or do they and have extra?
I sent an email to the farm director saying that I hadn't heard the answer to this question. He thought it was a good question and will be asking it during the interview!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Finally the interview and an answer to my question!

He can't use the water for his cattle because it's a reverse osomsis system and that creates a distilled water. The cattle would starve to death on it because it doesn't contain the vitamins and minerals needed. By discharging it into the river it will seap through the ground and gain those vitamins and minerals the same way rain water does.

He is only currently getting 1/3 of the water out of the manure. He's hoping with fine tuning he will be able to get 40-50%. The maker of the system (currently it's a one of a kind) is working on the process and hopes to get 90-96% of the water out. Leaving only solids to be left to spread on the field. Bonus would be all the nutrients from the manure would still go out on to the field but, less storage space would be needed and less water back to the field that may already be to wet--our big manure spreading time is spring and fall-around the crops being planted and harvested-and it tends to get wet then.

 

[wynedot55]

sounds like a new form of composting.thus putting dry solid manure on crap hay an pasture land.