Agricultural wastewater solutions

Problem

With new residential areas built near to agricultural sites, citizens are increasingly being confronted with the malodors they generate. Furthermore, people have learned to stand up, confront and even sue local government and business if they believe health and comfort issues are at stake. It is therefore that odour control is becoming an important factor for every environmental officer and production manager.
Reducing its impact on the surrounding community has become a necessary and integral part of managing agricultural wastewater. Animal producers are using various techniques to treat liquid animal wastes in order to meet the increasingly tightened environmental regulations.

Because of theglobal water shortages, water use for agriculture is also becoming an increasing concerna and many researchs and developments are being placed on finding alternative water sources.

Solution

Odor Control

One very effective of controlling odors from earthen or open tank and ponds stored manure is aeration. By introducing air through ADS linear air diffusers at the bottom of the lagoon, we provide life giving oxygen to the bacteria and micro-organisms contained in the sludge. The result of the aerobic conversion of the sludge is a mixture of carbon dioxide, water, and inert ashes (CHON), which none of them smell.

An alternate approach of controlling odors is to prevent evaporation and contact between the air and the surface of the contaminated water by installing a cover such as Bird Ball™ cover system. The Bird Ball™ system provides 91% surface coverage which minimizes wind action and prevents odors from escaping to the atmosphere.

Manure treatment for effluent reuse

A second way for treating agricultural wastewater consists in adding : a primary solids separation (primary settling or mechanical), and an ADS aerated lagoons with continuous drip of Bacta-Pur® bacterial augmentation and AquaMats® biofiltration for maximum solids (sludge) solubolization and ammonia removal.

Installing a PNW secondary manure treatment system provide a cost effective way of minimizing solid waste handling requirements. Sludge are reduced by bioaugmentation during the lagoon treatment process. Effluent water can be reused as wash water in the barn or for direct irrigation.

Benefits of a secondary treatment system are:

Eliminate odors associated with earthen manure storages.
Reduce land area required for manure injection.
Treated effluent reuse reduces the need for fresh water for pen and barn wash water.
Any excess treated water, which is not required for washing purposes can simply be spray irrigated onto adjacent agricultural land without generating any odors.
Costly manure injection systems are no longer required (save $0.01 per gallon of manure produced).
Reduce ammonia and odor levels in the barn by using secondary effluent wash water with high dissolved and chemical oxygen levels.
Generate public enthusiasm and a positive outlook towards company initiatives and the hog production industry as a whole.

Improve barn worker and swine herd health

Using secondary treated effluent as barn wash water can improve barn air quality. The dissolved oxygen and the high nitrate (NO3) concentrations (NO3 is produced when ammonia is converted under aerobic conditions in the lagoons) in the wash water will result in reductions of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production from the manure pits under the hog pens. Adding oxygen to the water makes the bacteria in the manure recognizes the nitrates as a chemical source of oxygen. The oxygen in the nitrates is quickly used up resulting in the release of harmless nitrogen gas (N2), which constitutes 80% of the air that we breathe. By creating an aerobic barrier at the surface of the manure pits, the presence of oxygen allows to minimize the release of H2S and ammonia into the barn, improving air quality.

Performance and long term costs

Some studies have shown that annual aeration odor control operating costs may be as high as $5.00 per pig. The high oxygen transfer efficiency and minimal electrical requirements of an ADS system provide low operating costs down to $1.00 per pig.