Water News Archive

Contaminant Pathways

Water quality can be degraded by contaminants contained in manure, from water used at milking centers, from silage leachate, and from open lot runoff. These potential pollutants typically follow one or more possible pathways to water.

Operation & Maintenance

Now that you know how a lagoon works, here is what you need to do to operate and maintain your system for maximum efficiency and long life. Minimize your exposure to wastewater - it contains disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Wear waterproof gloves, wash hands or shower, and disinfect breaks in skin after exposure to wastewater.

Reduce Need for Irrigation by Maintaining Crop Residue and Reducing Soil Tillage

Leaving higher levels of crop residue and doing less tillage can increase the soil water balance by increasing the amount of water that infiltrates the soil from irrigation or precipitation, and decreasing the amount of water that runs off the soil surface. More residue and less tillage also reduce the rate of evaporation of water from the soil. Maintaining residue on the soil surface and doing less tillage can significantly reduce the amount of irrigation water needed to grow a crop.

Calibration Kits

20 kits of equipment and supplies for calibrating both dry and liquid manure spreaders are available in Extension offices across the state. Available for check-out for farmers and their advisors

Publications

Download educational materials about stormwater management developed by Nebraska Extension Educators and Specialists.

Custom Manure Application

Custom Manure Applicators are becoming more commonly used by livestock producers in the state of Nebraska. While the regulations in Nebraska do not restrict the use of custom applicators or the methods that they employ, it is in their best interest to apply manure in accordance with the permit holder's nutrient management plan. It is, however, the responsibility of the permit holder (livestock producer) to make sure that happens.

National SepticSmart Week is September 17-21

National Septic Smart week is Sept. 17–21, 2018. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses a week in September each year to focus on improved awareness of proper operation and maintenance of septic systems across the U.S.  The wastewater of approximately 25 percent of the population of the U.S. is treated by on-site or individual wastewater systems. In Nebraska, that statistic holds consistent with approximately 25 percent of our state’s population served by onsite wastewater systems on farms, acreages, suburbs and even some small communities.

Groundwater Levels

Groundwater levels are an indication of how humans and climate have impacted the amount of water stored below ground, and the amount of groundwater that flows out of the ground to streams, rivers, springs, and lakes. Depletion of groundwater resources would have major social, economic, and ecological impacts in Nebraska and beyond.

How Does a Lagoon Work?

A traditional lagoon system is a two part system. A traditional system has plumbing from the house and a lagoon.

Why Manage Irrigation?

The goal of irrigation management is to use water in the most profitable way at sustainable production levels. For production agriculture this generally means supplementing precipitation with irrigation. In recent years we have seen declines in groundwater levels, almost statewide. Much of the State of Nebraska is considered fully or over-appropriated. This means that in those over-appropriated areas there will be no new development of irrigated acres.

Manure Related Extension Publications

The following are publications about manure and nutrient management.

Land Planning Standards

An important component in implementing effective best management practices for stormwater management is the regulatory context for land development. Land Planning Standards are changing, and there are many good examples that have been rewritten to provide a stronger framework for land development that integrates green stormwater management practices.

Crop Planning - Manure Nutrient Analysis and Application

Default values for manure nutrient concentrations are typical values, but concentrations can vary substantially from these due to the feeding program, type of animal housing, and manure handling system. Additional variation occurs within animal feeding operations due to time of year and weather conditions.

Papio-Missouri River NRD 2018 Groundwater Management Plan

The Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (P-MRNRD) 2018 Groundwater Management Plan incorporates and responds to new data and information about groundwater quantity and quality throughout the District.  The new plan incorporates data from studies, as well as regulation changes including:

What Happens in the Trench?

The effluent is distributed through the pipes/gravel or chambers, then percolates down into the soil. Oxygen is present and aerobic bacteria break down the waste. Viruses are held by soil particles and die over time.

Domestic Sewage FAQs

I have a septic system. What maintenance does it need? One of the most important things you can do to keep the system functioning properly is to have the septic tank pumped regularly by a certified professional. Scum and/or sludge could build up and be carried to the drainfield if the tank is not pumped regularly. This will clog the drainfield and not allow wastewater to be treated. Wastewater may form a pond in the yard or back up into the house. At that point you are probably facing costly repairs or replacement instead of minimal maintenance expenses.

Small Farm Issues

Many of the manure management and environmental resources and publications are written for large livestock operations. Yet, most of the farming operations in the US are small. In Nebraska, for example, nearly 70% of all beef operations are less than 300 head and 90% are less than 1,000 head.

LID Atlas

The Low Impact Development (LID) Atlas was created for the National Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Network by the Connecticut NEMO Program and the California Center for Water and Land Use (http://lidmap.uconn.edu/). The LID Atlas is an interactive tool that provides examples of LID implementation throughout the country.

Manure Management for Biosecurity

The potential for disease transfer due to manure handling equipment moving among manure storages or farms should not be overlooked. If a producer operates their own pumping equipment, they will know if PEDV or other diseases are a risk on their farm and should be able to take extra precautions to avoid spreading the disease to other facilities or farms that they own.

Septic Tank Design

A septic tank must be watertight. The wastewater has not been fully treated, so it must be contained and prevented from escaping into the environment. Septic tanks can be made of concrete, concrete blocks, fiber-reinforced plastic, high-density plastic or fiberglass.