3RARY
PROTECTION AGENC?
PB-233
DAIRY MANURE MANAGEMENT METHODS
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
PREPARED FOR
OFFICE OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
'Cental Protection Agency
Region 111 Information Resource
Center (3PM52)
811 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
1974
DISTRIBUTED BY:
National Technical Information Service
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
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BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA
SHEET
4. Title and Subt itlc
1. Report No.
;pA/530/sw-6?d
PB 233 441
Dairy Manure Management Methods
5. Report Date
6.
7.
Donald E- Pr°ctor (Washington State University)
8. Performing Organisation Kept.
No.
9. Performing Organization Name and Address
Washington State University
Environmental Engineering Section
Engineering Research Division
Pullman. Washington 99163
10. Projcct/Task/Work Unit No.
11. Contract/Grant No.
G06-EC-OOI02
12. Sponsoring Organix.ation Name and Address
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste Management
Washington, D.C. 20460
13. Type of Report & Period
Covered
14.
15. Supplementary Notes
16. Abstracts New pens for the conf-jnement and feeding of dairy cattle were constructed imde
a continuous roofed area to prevent the addition of precipitation to the cattle excremen
The manure was collected in underground sumps, pumped to large anaerobic lagoons for wet
season storage, and subsequently applied to crogjand dunnfl"the comparatively drier sum
mer months. Observations were made tqf, at least parti ally Devaluate) the effect of the
roofed environment upon the cattle. Some unsuccessful attempts were made to collect the
excrement by hydraulic flushing techniques alone. The pump and pipeline transport of
manure slurry either to storage or to large bore field irrigation nozzles was quite suc-
cessful. Observations of surface ponding and runoff, soil penetration, and crop res-
ponse indicated that the concept of seasonal storage and seasonally scheduled crop land
disposal of dairy manure slurry can be an environmentally acceptable and agriculturally
comnatible method of dairy manure management.- Attempts to aerobically treat manure
slurry supernatant liquor were technically successful but still impractical
17. Key Words and Document Analysis. 17o. Descriptors
dairy cattle waste slurries
anaerobic lagoons
hydraulic fIush i ng
sprinkler irrigation
17b. Ideniifiers/Open-Knded Terms
seasonal storage
environmentally acceptable
agriculturally comoatible
17c. COSATI Ficld/C.ruup
18. Availability Statement
19. Security Class (This
Report)
UNCLASSIFIED
20. Security Class (This
Page
UNCLASSIFIED
NTIS-35 (REV. 3-V?l
| 21. "No. of Pages
'JSCOMM-DC 149S2-P72
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DAIRY MANURE MANAGEMENT METHODS
This report (SW-6?d) on work performed under
Federal solid waste management demonstration grant no. G06-EC-00102
to Washington State University
was written by Donald E. Prootor
and is reproduced as received from the grantee
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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This report has been reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that
the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of commercial
products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the
U.S. Government.
An environmental protection publication (SW-6?d) in the solid waste
management series.
i i
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CONTENTS
Sect ion
I Cone)us ions 1
II Recommendations 3
I I I Introduct ion 5
IV Organization, Facility Design and Construction 15
V Operations and Observations 21
VI Acknowledgments 63
VII List of Patents and Publications 65
VIM Appendices 6?
i i i
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FIGURE:
Page
I. Location and Arrangement of the Monroe Honor Farm 8
2. Building Facilities at Start of Project Development 9
3. Drilled Orifice "Hydraulic Broom" During Early
Manure Flushing Experiments 27
k. Second Generation "Hydraulic Broom" Pilot Model
During Manure Flushing Experiments 27
5. Nylon-Bristled Manure "Scraper" Mounted on Tractor 30
6. Nylon-Bristled Manure "Scraper" Operating in
Alleyway Between Bedded Stalls 30
7. Nylon-Bristled Manure "Scraper" Operating on
Main Surface of Holding Pen A 31
8. Nylon-Bristled Manure "Scraper" Discharging a
Pushed "Load" into Drop Slot of Manure Collection
Sump 31
5. Activated Sludge Aeration Basin with Foam Blanket
at Initial Start-up ^3
10. Diminished Foaming in Aerator after Biomass Development ^3
]]. Final Clarifier, Scraper Drive, and Sludge Return
Pump. The Effluent Was Always Highly Colored ^
12. Location of Field Application and Soil Sampling Points ^7
13. Manure Gun in Operation. 12,000 Gallons Applied at
This Point ^8
}k. Same Application as in Figure 13 But after 50,000 Gallons 50
15. Effect of Rough Plowed Ground on Retention. This Circle
Has Received about 75,000 Gallons 50
16. Chemical Oxygen Demand in Stream Draining State
Farm 1967-68 52
17. Nitrate-Nitrogen in Stream Draining State Farm 1967~68 53
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18. Orthophosphate-Phos'phorus in Stream Draining State
Farm 1967-68 5^
19. Lay-Out of Test Plots for 1968 and 1969 Agrinomic Studies 58
20. Comparison of Whole Corn Stalks.
Left=Manured Test Plots, Right=Commercia1 Fertilizer
Plots 6l
21. Maturity Comparison. Large Ears from Manured Test
Plots, Small Ears from Commercial Fertilizer Plots 61
22. Initially Proposed New Cattle Housing
86
23. General Arrangement of Pens, Stalls, Gutters and Mangers
of Initially Proposed Hew Cattle Housing 87
2k. New Cattle Housing Location after Haybarn Relocation 88
25. Pen Arrangement for New Cattle Housing Facility 89
26. Mobile Chopper Pump Rig Shown in Place in Collection
Sump. Discharge Connection not Installed 95
27. Modified Manure Handling System in New Cattle Housing
Facility 97
28. Schematic Layout of Manure Storage, Treatment and
Distribution Area 99
2S- Farm Plan Showing Location of Underground Pipe,
Valves and Risers of Field Distribution System 106
30. Plan of Laboratory-Office Addition 109
31. Deterioration of Anaerobic Storage Lagoon Embankments
(December 1967) ] ' '
32. Flood Conditions Adjacent to Lagoon Construction
Area. Cropland in Background (December 1967) '''
33. Schematics of Influent Piping to Anaerobic Storage
Lagoons ''3
3*1. Anaerobic Storage Lagoon Showing Bridge, Withdrawal
Pipe and Neoprene Hose Connection I 1 *»
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TABLES
Number Pa9e
I. Manure Transferred Through Central Manure Slurry Tank 36
v i
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SECTION I
CONCLUSIONS
1. Manure, generated by dairy cattle in concentrated, paved, confine-
ment pens, can be transported and stored in slurry form in open
anaerobic lagoons for long periods of time without necessarily
causing problems of odors, fly breeding, or other insect problems.
2. By storing liquid manure slurry, it can be applied to agriculturally
productive land at such times and in such amounts as to minimize,
if not eliminate, problems of air, ground water, or surface water
quality degradation.
3. Such environmentally acceptable applications of stored or freshly
generated manure slurry to crop lands are compatible with, and
supportive of, maximum feed or forage production on that land. In
limited tests and observations of this Project, the application of
stored manure slurry to silage corn test plots before seeding
resulted in approximately one-third more yield and two weeks earlier
maturity than for similar plots receiving commercial fertilizer.
k. Test feeding of green cut corn silage, having nitrate-nitrogen con-
centrations as high as Q.Ik percent of dry weight, to high producing
dairy cows, pregnant dairy heifers, and steers, did not give any
indications of declining milk yield, abortions, slower rates of
weight gain, or other distress that have been attributed to
"n i trate-poisonlng".
5. The application of excessive amounts of manure slurry at one time
to forage crops containing clover can result in the loss of clover
from the stand. Single applications of less than 25,000 gallons
per acre did not have this effect, while applications greater than
50,000 gallons per acre appeared to eliminate nearly all clover In
the stand.
6. The application of manure slurry to crop lands during seasons of
high precipitation can lead, to a significant extent, to both chem-
ical and bacteriological pollution of surface waters. Fecal coli-
form and fecal streptococci organisms survive, and thus retain
polluting capabilities, significantly longer on ground surfaces
when or where quick draining and partial drying are prevented.
7. When reasonable amounts of manure slurry--up to 50,000 gallons per
acre—are applied to very fine textured soils, the bacteria of the
slurry are almost completely retained in or on the upper layers
of the soil. Soluble constituents such as chlorides will be carried
downward by percolating water from either the applied slurry or of
subsequent precipitation.
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8. Dairy manure can be transported successfully and economically in
slurry form by properly designed pump and pipeline systems. It
can be uniformly applied to land by large bore spray irrigation
nozzles. Though pipeline lengths of only about 3,000 feet were
involved in this Project, it appears likely that pipeline trans-
port could be extended to several miles, if necessary.
Avoiding blind sections (i.e. pressurized but without positive flow)
of slurry distribution lines appears to be essential in avoiding
the formation of plugs of fibrous solids in the lines.
9. The exclusion of rainwater and snowmelt water from dairy manure
involves a significant capital investment to provide a roof over
the confinement area and storm drains to convey the intercepted
precipitation. This one-time investment is at least partially off-
set by a significant reduction in capital cost for manure storage
facilities. Operating cost reductions are also realized, since the
volume of slurry and the land required for its disposal are reduced
for each year of the life of the roof. There may well be additional
benefits derived from the roof as a result of a less severe environ-
ment for the confined cattle.
10. Aerobic biological treatment of stratified liquor withdrawn from
stored manure slurry can cause Biochemical Oxygen Demand reductions
as great as 95 percent. Color is not significantly reduced and the
treated effluent would seldom be of adequate quality to allow direct
discharge to surface waters.
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SECTION I I
RECOMMENDATIONS
The results of the limited period of operation and observations of this
Project were quite encouraging but do not necessarily reveal the long-
term consequences of such an operation. Further or more extensive
evaluation is needed relative to: (a) the consequences of the changes
in cattle environment provided by totally roofed confinement, (b) the
agronomic and environmental consequences of controlled seasonal appli-
cations of stored manure slurry on various soils used for various
crops, (c) the possibility that bacteria or other organisms can become
airborne after evaporation of the moisture in fine droplets of sprayed
manure slurry, and (d) the labor and cost factors associated with all
aspects of operation.
Hydraulic flushing of manure from the confinement slabs was not success-
fully demonstrated, but It should not be assumed that hydraulic flushing
is impractical. Modification of the confinement pens and flushing
provisions could still lead to a low cost, aesthetically acceptable
method of maintaining pen sanitation. Low-pressure high volume flushing
techniques are currently used on some dairy farms where the resulting
large volumes of manure slurry do not constitute a critical problem.
The method of agitating and removing stored manure slurry from the
anaerobic storage lagoons was usable but certainly not the optimum
method. Research and development aimed at a more convenient recovery
system is needed.
It is recommended that seasonal storage and seasonal land application
of manure slurry is probably the cheapest and most environmentally
acceptable means of dairy manure slurry available to most dairymen
of the Pacific Northwest, and that this practice should be Implemented
in a majority of such dairies.
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SECTION I I I
INTRODUCTION
The production of food resources by agriculture is not a new or recent
development. The capacity or capability to produce food resources has,
in general and until now at least, developed as rapidly as our increas-
ing needs have developed. It is nothing short of miraculous that a
constantly dwindling number of people in agriculture, working on an
ever decreasing non-urban land area, have been able to produce food
and fiber for an ever increasing population.
This increased food and fiber production capability has been made
possible only by accepting changes. These changes have been techno-
logical, economic, and social. As examples; tractors have replaced
horses, capital investment per worker has sky rocketed, and an employee
now works at tasks that once were performed exclusively by members of
the farmer's own family. While many of the changes associated with
the development of today's productive agricultural system are readily
seen as improvements, some changes must be viewed as having serious or
deleterious consequences. Environmental pollution problems associated
with agricultural practices must be regarded as changes that we would
prefer not to have occurred. This is not to say that the undesirable
changes were predictable or avoidable. They represent one of the costs
that we have paid for a desired situation of abundancy. Today we must
ask whether the environmental problems of agriculture are correctable
and whether society is able and willing to pay the correction costs.
The correction costs may take the form of reduced abundancy of farm
derived products, higher unit costs for those products, or, more probably,
a combination of both.
DAIRY MANURE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS, GENERAL
Dairying, as one segment of agriculture, has undergone extensive changes.
Cows still eat, produce milk, and excrete urine and feces. Virtually all
else has changed.
Even with an increasing population exerting an increasing demand for
dairy products, the total number of cows held in milk production opera-
tions has been decreasing. Milk production per cow-day has been improved
to permit this reduction in number. The modern cow of high productivity
does, however, have a bigger appetite and produces more excrement than
her ancestors.
The advantages of specialization of effort that became apparent on
industry's assembly lines have motivated specialization in agriculture
as well. The diversified family farm where grain and forage were raised;
chickens, pigs, and cows were fed; and milk, meat and eggs were sold has
yielded to specialty farrr endeavors. As a result, dairy manure is often
produced on farms with a large number of cows but very limited land.
Preceding page blank
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Confinement rearing of dairy cows, as with swine, poultry or fattening
beef cattle, tends to restrict the production of manure to even more
limited areas. Often this manure is defecated on paved surfaces where
intentional management is mandatory and frequent. Because of the require-
ments of milk sanitation, the dairyman has long been accustomed to some
degree of regulatory control of manure management, whereas beef, swine or
poultry farm operators have only recently begun to experience regulation
because of concern for environmental protection.
Another change relative to manure problems can be traced to a non-
dgricultural cause. Urban sprawl or suburban encroachment is bringing
more people into closer geographical contact with manure problems. Even
without an increase in manure production and in the absence of intense
confinement, there would be an increase in the significance or the impact
of manure upon the environment. It does little good to argue the point
that the dairy may have been in the area first, or that the problem only
arises because of neighborhood encroachment. The new neighbor is there,
and he doesn't wish to be subjected to odors, flies or unsightly aes-
thetic condi tions .
Manure, whether from dairies or other livestock operations, probably is
about as rich in fertilizer nutrients as it has ever been in the past.
In spite of this, the demand for manure for soil fertilization is greatly
reduced. Commercial chemically-produced fertilizer formulations can be
mass produced and blended to exacting specifications, are easily stored
or transported, and can often be applied by modern methods more econom-
ically than can livestock manures. This results in manure being poten-
tially more available as an environmental pollutant than in the past.
Fertilization with manures can also introduce weed seeds to fields.
The final change that should be recognized is one of attitude. The popu-
lation is becoming increasingly more aware of the ecological or environ-
mental consequences of pollutants. What may have been either an
acceptable or unnoticed environmental situation in the past is scrutinized
more closely and accepted less readily today.
Not associated with any change in dairying but still of significance to
dairy manure's impact upon environmental quality is the matter of
climatic conditions. In many of the regions of the nation that are
noted for a significant dairy industry, one can find a seasonal variation
that is significant. Wet winter seasons with a high potential for
surface runoff are characteristics of Western Washington, Western Oregon,
and Northern California. Frozen ground that prevents infiltration and
incorporation of manure can be expected for long periods of the winter-
in Wisconsin, Minnesota and up-state New York where dairying is practiced
c.u i te extens i vely .
Precipitation is not only significant because of the increased likelihood
of runoff from fields where manure may be applied, but also because it
can add materially to the waste volume to be collected and managed at^
the cattle confinement area of modern dairies. If the precipitation is
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allowed to contact manure accumulated on the confinement area or in
storage, it is then contaminated to the point that it must be managed
as a part of the manure.
PROJECT DEMONSTRATION SITE AND PREPROJECT MANURE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS
The State of Washington has operated a dairy farm near Monroe, Washington
for several years in connection with the Reformatory located nearby.
This Honor Farm constitutes one element of Farm Industries, an agency of
the Office of Institutional Industries in the State Department of
Institutions. (Recent reorganization has changed the Department to the
Division of Institutions of the Washington State Department of Social
and Health Services.) The Farm is operated to provide vocational train-
ing and experience to between 30 and 50 honor inmates of the nearby
Washington State Reformatory.
The Farm entails approximately 250 acres of land on the flood plain of
the Snoqualmie River. About 35 acres of the area are devoted to inmate
housing, farm administration, shops and related facilities, feed storage,
cattle confinement and milk processing plant leaving a little over 200
acres of tillable or crop-producing land. Figure 1 shows the Project
site location and general layout of the Farm. Figure 2 shows the
general arrangement of buildings. Silage corn and grass-clover mixtures
for summer green-chop forage are the crops utilized in a planned field
rotation scheme, for five fields of approximately equal size.
All of the crop land is subject to flooding quite infrequently. Perhaps
as much as 25% of the fields are flooded almost every winter for varying
durations. The area devoted to buildings has not been flooded within
the memory of present residents of the area. It is generally assumed
that between ^0 and 50 inches of precipitation will occur in the imme-
diate vicinity, and that 80 percent of this rainfall will occur between
October 15 and April 15 of the following year.
The dairy cattle herd on the Farm fluctuates somewhat, but at the time
of the initial meeting the herd size was approximately ^85 animals,
including about 225 milking cows. Some of the dry cows were maintained
at other locations. The possibility existed that the herd might increase
to as many as 800 cows within a few years. The cows were housed, fed,
and milked in what might be called typical loose stall, partially roofed,
confinement facilities. All confinement area, except for bedded stalls,
was concrete surfaced. Most roof drainage was discharged to the confine-
ment slab.
Manure was handled by various means. Some was handled as solids by
tractor loading into a truck-mounted, mechanical-beater-type manure
spreader. Urine, some feces, and a significant amount of rain water
either drained or was scraped into an agitated manure sump. The manure
wastes were pumped from the sump into a truck-mounted liquid spreader
tank. A significant amount of rainfall escaped from the confinement slab
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UJUJ
T28N
T27N
Snohomish
Riv.
CO
toDuval
Snoqualmie Riv.
•u-u
•nut
•^1
CO
1
ii_i/
**""* / \
h
**/ /
1
1
\
"Off ice "^
^ Shop
^
3arns-Milk
B-2
\
\.
"1
Rant
' ~\
\
Figure 1. Location and Arrangement of the Monroe Honor Farm
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2
i —
1. Custody
_ 2. Dining 1
ht | 3 3. Recreat]
[ 4 . Equipmci
— 1 1 |5. Institui
_, * Industr
* -J 6. Well lloi
j ' 7. Milk Prc
8. Milking
9. Milk Pr<
County Roads
« 1
/<*
u
20 '*
1 —
79 ,0 "
Building Index Numbers
Office § Doras 10. Maternity and Storage
lall and Kitchen Barn
ion Hall 11. Storage
it Repair Shop 12. Calf Parlor
:ional Farm 13. Maternity Barn
ies Office 14. Loading Chute
ase 15, 17, 18. Loafing Sheds
acessing 16- '|3>' Bavn
Parlor 19- Silage Bunker
sducts Storage 20. Large I lay Barn
n
u
'3
/2
^^
L§_ 7 ^^^
_ n 1 ^^"^^
. . ?...,'
/o
//
Figure 2. Building Facilities at Start of Project Development
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as runoff to farm land and to an old sluugh extending through the Farm.
Some manure produced in the milking parlor and most wash water and
liquid waste from the processing plant went directly to the old slough
system. The slough varied from 10 to 40 feet in width and was about
1,300 feet long. The slough banks were heavily vegetated with rushes
and other weedy plants but trees or shrubs were absent. While some
mosquitoes were noted, fly breeding along the slough did not appear to
be s igni ficant.
The milking parlor provided two udder washing stations and eight milking
stations. Five elevated stations in each of two milking lines are on
either side of the central operator floor. A walk-through arrangement
allows cows to enter either line for udder washing before proceeding to
any vacant milking station. A measured amount of grain-based feed is
mechanically charged to a feed cup as each cow enters a milking station.
Milking machines are attached and initiated with the milk being col-
lected in calibrated glass receivers. This milk is transferred through
glass lines to the milk processing plant coolers after each cow is
milked. Each cow is in the milking parlor between three to eight
minutes at each of two daily milkings with an average time around four
minutes per milking. Thus a relatively small amount of the manure is
produced at the milking parlor. This is flushed away in liquid slurry
form.
The milk processing plant contains milk cooling and raw milk storage,
transfer pumps, pasteurizing and homogenizing equipment, separators,
packaging equipment, ice cream and cottage cheese facilities, a bulk
processed storage tank and cold storage rooms for ice cream and other
packaged products. In addition, there are such supporting facilities as
boilers, refrigeration equipment, loading facilities, cleaning facilities
and other miscellaneous support facilities.
After analyzing the site it was generally resolved that: (1) the
problem of dairy manure disposal at the Farm was both serious and expen-
sive; (2) wintertime runoff from confinement slabs, fields, or the old
slough could result in significant stream pollution; (3) an increase in
herd size would magnify the problem; and (k) other farms of Western
Washington were faced with similar, if not identical, problems.
Several schemes or processes for improvement were considered including:
(1) conventional sewage treatment practices such as activated sludge
treatment of liquified wastes, (2) anaerobic - aerobic lagoons in series,
(3) land spreading of liquified manure, (4) dewatering and incineration,
(5) land fill or burying, and (6) combinations of such processes. In
all such consideration, the volumetric problem associated with precipi-
tation on confinement areas appeared most troublesome. The incomplete
destruction of manure solids by all means other than incineration
appeared to limit the practicality of all disposal techniques considered.
10
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After critical review of the problem, the following ideas seemed most
promi s i ng:
1. The disposal of manure, manure solids, or liquid produced dur-
ing the drier months could almost certainly be accomplished by
immediate application to crop land without excessive cost or
significant risk of water pollution.
2. In the case of manure produced in the colder winter months, by
the time any lagoon effluent quality was sufficiently treated
to be discharged, it could alternatively be applied as needed
irrigation water for crops on the Farm.
3. The lagoon volume required for treatment of wintertime manure
production would be equal to or larger than the volume needed
to store the same manure production.
k. Periodic removal of non-degraded manure solid residues from a
treatment lagoon system would not be easier or cheaper than
would removal of the total manure volume from deep storage la-
goons. In all likelihood, in fact, removal of the total manure
slurry could probably be more readily accomplished from a
planned storage facility than from any conceivable treatment
lagoon.
5. Whether volumetric requirements were for treatment, storage, or
a combination of both, any possible reduction in the amount of
precipitation being added to the manure would be advantageous.
6. . Because of the widespread need for solutions to similar problems,
any development of manure management facilities at the Honor
Farm should be followed and observed by the various agencies or
institutions concerned with the problem.
After further consideration of the problem, the only logical step indi-
cated was to try to develop facilities for winter storage and summertime
field application of all manure and that wherever possible the manure
should be handled in liquid form. It also seemed that this management
scheme, if practical, should be applicable in nearly all areas of the
country. Therefore, the circumstances seem to fit the criteria of wide-
spread applicability necessary for a Solid Waste Disposal Demonstration
Project.
An intensive period of preliminary planning and investigation resulted
in a proposal to the Office of Solid Wastes of the U.S. Public Health
Service which was submitted on March 6, 196?. A special request was
made for a prompt review and funding decision in order that detailed
planning and construction of facilities could be initiated to take
advantage of the 1967 summer weather and in order to meet scheduled Farm
needs for facilities.
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After certain requested proposal revisions were made and submitted in
May, notice of approval and funding was made on June 19, 19^7 with an
effective starting date of June 1,
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Dairy Manure Management Methods Demonstration
Project as proposed and funded were:
1. To demonstrate that both the recovered fertilizer values and
the pollutions! effect upon surface and local groundwater are
significantly influenced by the season and method of application
of dairy manure in areas that have seasonally high rainfall and
land runoff problems. The advantages of properly scheduled
application of dairy manure to farm lands in such areas would
be demonstrated. Soil properties and field productivity would
be evaluated .
2. To demonstrate that properly constructed and operated anaerobic
dairy manure lagoons can provide the necessary method of low-
cost storage so that ultimate disposal on farm lands can be
scheduled during the most favorable seasons. The ability of
dairy manure lagoons to stabilize the putrescible constituents
of dairy manure was also to be demonstrated as was the ability
of such lagoons to operate without significant problems from
odor release, fly propogation or appreciable nutrient loss.
3. To demonstrate the relative economic and aesthetic advantages of
an initially planned system for hydraul ica I ly flushing and
transporting manure as compared to a system using tractor mounted
scrapers for confinement yard cleaning. The compatibility
of hydraulic flushing and transport to lagoon storage, lagoon
treatment and ultimate field spreading would also be demonstrated.
l*. To demonstrate the advantages of total roof coverage of the
confinement areas so that the manure slurry volume would not
be increased by rainfall which in turn would greatly increase
the required lagoon volume and also increase the required
capacity of aerobic treatment facilities. The effects of totally
roofed confinement upon the health, cleanliness, production and
milk quality of the confined herd was to be observed to deter-
mine whether such confinement offers advantages over and above
the primary benefit of better manure management,
5. To investigate the feasibility of using anaerobic lagoons and
a compact secondary aerobic process for partial destruction of
manure on farms that do not have land available near at hand
for manure disposal by land spreading. Under such conditions,
now frequently found around large metropolitan areas, the
putrescible organics of the manure would be biologically des-
troyed in the anaerobic lagoon and secondary aerobic process.
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The non-degradable solids residue would be dewatered by draining,
and possibly by pressing, and then trucked to acceptable sites
for land spreading or burial. The liquid fraction could either
be completely treated for final discharge or reuse, or partially
treated for discharge to a municipal sewer system.
The last mentioned objective was not considered to be of paramount impor-
tance to the successful operation of the Honor Farm. It was included in
the proposal because it was felt at that time that the necessary facil-
ities could be provided and the necessary tests conducted at very low
additional cost to the project. Any information gained as result of
objective five would be of some value to dairy farms other than the
Honor Farm.
13
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SECTION IV
ORGANIZATION, FACILITY DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT ORGANIZATION
Even before the Project was approved and funded, it was recognized by
the administration of both the Department of Institutions and Washington
State University that the success of the Project would be dependent upon
a great deal of mutual coordination and cooperation. The conduct of the
Project would necessarily interfere to some extent with normal operation
of the Honor Farm. Also, operational requirements of the Farm could not
always be adjusted to accommodate purposes or needs of the Project. To
a very large extent, the required non-Federal matching expenditures or
costs would have to be borne by the Department of Institutions. Ulti-
mately the facilities developed by the Project would become assets of
the Farm and the Farm would assume responsibility for the continued
operation of such facilities as proved to be practical.
A Demonstration Grant Project Agreement was developed by the Assistant
Attorneys General acting for both institutions, reviewed by the fiscal
officers of each institution, and approved. This Agreement, which
covered the initial year of Project activities, committed each insti-
tution to compliance with the actions proposed by the Project application
and by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare document
"Solid Waste Disposal Demonstration or Study and Investigation Project
Grant Terms and Conditions." The Agreement provided that Dr. Donald E.
Proctor, Associate Sanitary Engineer and Howard Magnuson, Supervisor
of Institutional Farm Industries would act as responsible coordinators
of activities for Washington State University and the Department of
Institutions, respectively.
The Agreement further set forth the procedures and policies for expend-
itures, for records of expenditures, for reimbursements to Farm Industries
by Washington State University from Grant funds, for amending the
Agreement, and for Agreement renewal during subsequent Project years.
The spirit of this document continued to guide the relationship between,
and activities of, the two institutions throughout the life of the
Project.
A Consultant Agreement was negotiated between Washington State University
and Sleavin-Kors Inc. calling for that firm to: (1) conduct necessary
on-site surveying work, (2) act in collaboration with the Project Director,
the Co-Director and other advisors, in developing preliminary designs for
collection sumps, pump installations, pipelines, storage lagoons, the
activated sludge system, and the field distribution system, (3) develop
detailed plans and specifications for the facilities just indicated,
('() obtain price quotations for mechanical components, and (5) stake out
construction control points. This agreement stipulated payments for such
services based upon unit costs for time spent surveying, designing,
drafting, and typing plus actual costs for printing and travel.
Preceding page blank '5
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A subsequent addendum to the contract provided for Sleavin-Kors, Inc.
to review plans and specifications for the foundations and main struc-
tural elements of the cattle housing and to recommend remedial measures
to correct a defect in one structural steel span in that facility.
PROJECT STAFFING
As indicated in the Project grant application and in an earlier section
of this report, the successful conduct of the Project required cooperation
and coordination between the Department of Institutions and Washington
State University. The scope of the Project involved many different tech-
nical disciplines. The personnel actually employed on Project funds were
either drawn from the existing staff of the Sanitary Engineering Section
at Washington State University, from the Farm Industries staff, or were
new people hired specifically for this Project. In addition, several
individuals from the College of Agriculture or from the Cooperative
Extension Service contributed valuable time, effort and advice to the
Project without payroll support. Several dairy farm owner-operators
were also invited to visit the Project and offer advice or suggestions
regarding cattle housing arrangements and manure handling techniques.
The Project Director was Dr. Donald E. Proctor from the Sanitary Engineer-
ing Section of the College of Engineering Research Division of Washington
State University. The Co-Director initially was Mr. Howard Magnuson,
Supervisor of Institutional Farm Industries of the Department of Insti-
tutions. He terminated employment with the Department of Institutions
in April of 1969 and Mr. Harry Ingersoll was appointed to assume similar
responsibilities. Both the Director and Co-Director retained some of
their earlier duties and responsibiJities while assigned on a fractional
time basis to the Project.
The Project Director was primarily responsible for supervising the
planning and/or operation of manure transport and storage facilities,
for laboratory facilities and results, for runoff pollution studies, for
fiscal control of grant funds, and for preparing Project continuation
applications and reports. The Co-Director assumed supervisory respon-
sibility for planning the new cattle housing facilities, for overall
direction of construction on the Farm, for matching fund expenditures,
and for all operations directly affecting the dairy herd or crop lands.
The Director and Co-Director met quite frequently to coordinate all
activities and expenditures.
Additional Sarm Industries personnel worked on the Project on a less than
full-time basis. This included the Farm manager, some of the office
management and accounting staff, a mechanical repair shop foreman,
general operation and maintenance personnel, and construction crew mem-
bers. Regular full-time Project staff employed by Washington State
University included a Resident Engineer, a Senior Experimental Aide for
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dairy herd studies, a Senior Experimental Aide for agronomy studies, and
a Laboratory Assistant at the Project site. The agronomy aide termi-
na^ted in the summer of 1968 and a suitable replacement could not be
found. Other Washington State University personnel were utilized on
the Project on a less than full-time effort or support basis. These
included an Aquatic Biologist, a Bacteriologist, Chemists, a photographer,
secretarial-clerical help, and laboratory assistants. The College of
Agriculture and the Western Washington Research and Extension Centers
contributed non-Project-supported assistance by Dairy Scientists,
Agronomists and Soil Scientists, and Agricultural Engineers.
Some inmates from the Reformatory at Monroe are normally assigned and
domiciled at the Honor Farm. This provides a mechanism for vocational
training and experience in such areas as farm equipment operation and
maintenance, milking machine operation, dairy product processing, herd
management and office operations. In addition to work of this type,
the Project enabled a few inmates to gain some experience in drafting
work and construction while working with the Project staff.
FACILITIES
For the sake of organization of reporting on planning and design decisions,
the list of all new facilities that were developed for the project is
subdivided into six different categories. Many decisions involved
consideration of functions that overlapped several of these categories.
For example, one pump served both for slurry transport into the storage
lagoon and for the application of stored manure slurry to crop lands via
the field distribution system.
1. Cattle Confinement or Housing. This included site preparation,
footings, the roof structure, internal pen arrangement and
provisions for the feeding and care of the dairy cattle in the
new barn. Roof drainage lines to dispose of precipitation was
also included in this category.
2. Manure Flushing, Transport and Storage Facilities. This cate-
gory included provisions for hydraulic cleaning of the new
cattle pens, flushing water supply lines, pumps and controls,
collection sumps and manure slurry transfer pump, a central
sump for metering and sampling all manure slurries, the deep
anaerobic storage lagoons and mixing equipment, and provisions
for withdrawal of either stratified water or resuspended
slurries from the lagoon.
3. Aerobic Treatment Facilities. This category included an equal-
izing tank for liquors to be treated, an aeration tank with
turbine aerator, a final clarifier, raw waste and return acti-
vated sludge pumps, a chlorine contact chamber, and a lagoon
to collect or accumulate the final treated effluent.
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k. Field Distribution System. Facilities of this category included
a high pressure pump, a buried pipeline with strategically
located valves and risers, portable aluminum irrigation pipe
and an application nozzle capable of distributing manure slurry
on the fields.
5. Laboratory-Office Building. There was no vacant space avail-
able in any of the existing farm buildings suitable for either
lab or office space. It was necessary to construct an office
and laboratory facility. Provisions for heat, lights, and
water at least were necessary.
6. Miscellaneous. This category included sumps, pumps and pipe-
lines to intercept some of the wastes from the existing cattle
confinement spaces and wastes from the milking parlor and milk
processing plant. It also included protective fencing, some
new roadways, water and electrical power service and other
minor or related facilities.
A detailed account of planning and implementation fcr each of the above
categories is given in Appendix D.
CONSTRUCTION
Establishing a set of priorities and a construction schedule for the
several different facilities was a complex problem and one that neces-
sarily involved considerable guess work. Many different factors had to
be considered. It was recognized that the actual demonstration oper-
ations could not be significantly initiated until it was possible to:
(1) have cattle housed in the new barn, (2) collect, transfer and store
manure slurry in the storage lagoons, (3) apply manure slurry to at
least some crop lands, and (k) collect and analyze manure slurry samples.
This dictated that a first order construction priority had to be assigned
to: (1) the new barn structure, (2) completion of at least one pen in
the barns, (3) slurry transfer lines and the central manure slurry tank,
(k) the deep manure storage lagoons, (5) the field distribution system,
and (6) the laboratory-office building and furnishings. Only the aerobic
treatment facilities, additional pens in the new barn, and a few miscel-
laneous items could be temporarily postponed without significantly
snortening the time for Project operation and observation.
There was a series of sequential operations involved in construction of
each group of facilities. For example, the construction of the deep
storage lagoons could not progress very far before the 12-inch diameter
ductile iron pipe or slurry withdraw line would need to be installed.
Requests for bid quotations and purchase orders for this pipe and other
materials could not be submitted until rather complete design details
were established. Such design details were dependent upon site surveys
and this survey work had to await development and approval of a contract
for consulting engineering services. A different but equally complicated
18
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series of sequential steps was also involved in the construction of the
new barri, the laboratory-office building, and the field distribution
system.
Availability of both labor and materials was another factor to be con-
sidered. Snohomish County and the Puget Sound region was, in 1967, in
a pronounced construction and development boom period. Development of
extensive new aircraft manufacturing facilities for the Boeing Company
at Everett drew heavily upon contract capabilities, the labor pool, and
materials supplies. This development had also sparked a further demand
for commercial and residential buildings, for highway construction, for
new schools, etc., which also reduced the availability of men and mate-
rials. It seemed essential, therefore, to try to develop a construction
plan or program that would involve a rather stable crew rather than to
risk critical periods of manpower shortage associated with the fluctu-
ating construction Intensity.
Weather had to be regarded as another important factor in scheduling
construction effort on the various elements or facilities. The onset
of winter and its typical wet climate was almost certain to cause diffi-
culties for any earth work not completed before the end of November.
Work involving the local soils of the valley floor would be more seriously
affected than would work on or with fill material hauled to the project
site from a barrow pit at a nearby hillside location.
The detail account of construction progress and problems is given in
Appendix E.
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SECTION V
OPERATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS
The reporting of Project operations and observations could conceivably
be organized either (a) in a somewhat chronological narration of all
Project activities, or (b) in a series of narrative subsections, each
dealing with a specific aspect within the overall scope of Project
objectives. The latter seems to be the more appropriate of the two
alternatives even though significant interrelationships exist between
several such specific subject areas. For example, activities and
observations involving crop response will be discussed as a specific
and separate aspect of the Project even though it is directly related
to the amounts of manure applied at various times and by various tech-
niques to specific portions of the farm.
The subsections of this section of the report are organized according
to the following defined scopes and headings:
A. Barn-Related Operations - such as confinement slab flushing or
cleaning, livestock feeding and watering, rainfall diversion,
manure slurry collection and pumping, etc. One significant aspect
of feeding — the test feeding of high nitrate corn silage--will be
reported along with a subsection on crop response to applied manure.
B. Manure Transport, Storage, and Treatment -will cover the operations
and observations related to the central manure slurry tank; the
input, mixing, and withdrawal from the deep anaerobic manure storage
lagoons; and the results of attempts to treat anaerobic lagoon
supernatant in the aerobic treatment facilities.
C. Land Application of Manure - will cover the application of either
fresh manure or manure removed from the storage lagoons to crop
lands.
D. Field Assimilation and Runoff - will summarize the available data
and observations related to the more immediate fate of manure
slurry applied to the fields. This section will include the
results of chemical and bacteriological tests of field soils as
well as water quality observations on the small stream which forms
the east and south boundary of the farm.
E. Crop Growth Response and Nitrate Feeding Experiment - will cover
the limited amount of data and observations on test plot and
field performance under the influence of applied manure. A spe-
cific experiment related to the feeding of silage with an unusually
high nitrate content will also be included in this section.
F. Miscellaneous - any observations or results not appropriate to
other specific subsections will be reported under this heading.
21
Preceding page blank
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BARM-RELATED OPERATIONS
Ra i nfa11 Divers ion
One of the Project objectives was to demonstrate any advantages of a
totally roofed confinement or holding area for dairy cattle. The
principal expected advantage was a reduction in the volume of manure
slurry to be collected, transported, stored, and ultimately disposed
by excluding rainfall from the slurry. Other potential advantages
included a reduction of weather stress on the cattle, possible reduc-
tion of cattle diseases, an improved milk-output to feed-consumption
ratio, and improved herd cleanliness.
It is not possible to precisely determine the extent to which manure
slurry volumes were reduced at the Project by the provision of the
roof. A reasonable estimation of roof-effect on manure slurry volumes
can be made, however.
For purposes of comparison, consider the following assumptions and
computat ions:
Assumpt ions:
1. The cattle confinement, manure collection, and rainfall catchment
areas are identical and amount to the new barn roof area of
65,^2^ sq. ft. for the equivalent of 6 pens of 63 cows each (378
total cows). This is 173 sq. ft./cow.
2. Assume that the necessary storage period for manure slurry is the
six continuous wettest months of a year, or 182 days. This is a
reasonable expected duration of potential runoff conditions during
which manure slurry should not be applied to the fields.
3- The required manure storage lagoon volume is dictated not by the
average year but by the abnormally high years of record. Exami-
nation of Table I of Appendix A indicates that 38.^1 inches of
precipitation occurred during the months of October 1968 through
March 19&9 to represent the "wettest six continuous months" during
the period of Project activity. Examination of 30 years of records
for the nearby Monroe C1imatologica1 Station indicates that the
rainfall for the "wettest six continuous months" will be about 40
inches or more in about one year in five. The design precipitation
value is thus taken as 40 inches = 3-33 feet.
't. Effective evaporation of rainfall on a confinement slab is negli-
gible. Because urine, feces, and water trough spillage keep a
large part of the slab damp for a large part of the time, it is
assumed that little more water would evaporate even if the rain-
fall was added to the slab.
5- Actual excrement removal from the slab amounts to approximately
10 gal ./cow-day.
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6. Water used for flushing or cleaning the slab amounts to 20 gal./
cow-day.
7. The maximum practical liquid depth for storage lagoons is assumed
to be 15 feet. Direct precipitation of kQ inches = 3-33 feet
reduces the "effective storage" depth to 11.67 feet.
Computat ions:
a Excrement to be stored during "wet-season" = 378 cows x 10 gal./
cow-day x 182 days x 1 cu. ft./7-5 gal. = 91,700 cu. ft.
b Flushing water to be stored during "wet-season" = 378 cows x 20
gal./cow-day x 182 days x 1 cu. ft./7.5 gal. = 183,^00 cu. ft.
c Combined manure slurry to be stored if confinement area is roofed =
91,700 cu. ft. + 183,^00 cu. ft. = 275JOO cu. ft.
d Precipitation to be added to slurry if confinement area is not
roofed = 173 sq. ft./cow x 378 cows x 3-33 ft. = 218,100 cu. ft.
e Total slurry to be sent to lagoons if confinement area is not
roofed = 275,100 cu. ft. + 218,100 cu. ft. = ^93,200 cu. ft.
f. Lagoon area required with roofed confinement = 275,100 cu. ft./
11.67 ft. effective depth = 23,570 sq. ft.
g. Lagoon area required without roofed confinement = ^93,200 cu. ft./
11.67 ft. effective depth = ^2,260 sq. ft.
h Direct rainfall into lagoon designed for roofed confinement =
23,570 sq. ft. x 3-33 ft- = 78,570 cu. ft.
i Direct rainfall into lagoon designed for non-roofed confinement =
i.2,260 sq. ft. x 3.33 ft. = '^,870 cu. ft.
j. Total slurry at end of "wet-season"
Roofed Non-Roofed
Confinement Confinement
Case Case
Excrement 91,700 cu. ft. 91,700 cu. ft.
Flushing Water 183,^00 cu. ft. 183,^00 cu. ft.
Confinement Area Rainfall -0- ?flH°P. CU' !tj
Total Slurry Sent to Lagoons 2/b,luu cu. tt. 493,2UU cu. ft.
Lagoon Surface Rainfall 78.570 cu. ft. 1^0.870 cu. ft.
Totals 353,670 cu. ft. 63M70 cu. ft.
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From these computations it appears chat the provision of covered con-
finement areas must have a very significant influence upon: (1) the
amount of land area devoted to storage lagoons, (2) the cost of
constructing the lagoons, (3) the amount of manure slurry to be
transported into the lagoons, and (i») the volume of .slurry that must
be reclaimed and applied to crop lands during the dry season.
Several additional factors should also be recognized. If the con-
finement area is not covered to exclude rainfall, then that rainfall
will be added to the slurry whether the holding pens are stocked to
cow-holding capacity or not. In other words, a reduction of the
number of cows in an open confinement pen will not result in a signifi-
cant reduction in the amount of manure slurry to be pumped, stored or
applied to the fields.
In the above example, a lagoon depth limitation of 15 feet was assumed.
If greater depths were assumed, the roof-effect differences would be
smaller. In areas with less "wet-season" rainfall expectancy, the
differences would also have been smaller. With shallower depth
limitations or greater rainfall expectancy, the storage and pumping
differentials would naturally be greater. If the allocation of con-
finement area per cow was reduced, the differential in storage volume
requirements and in annual pumpage requirements would be smaller; but,
the roof area costs per cow would also be reduced.
It is recognized that the above computations do not indicate whether
or not the cost of providing a roof over the confinement pens is
economically justified by reduced land utilization for manure storage
lagoons, reduced lagoon construction costs, and reduction in annual
manure slurry pumping and field application costs. Such an analysis
depends upon many factors including the method and cost of roofing,
"wet-season" duration and accumulative rainfall expectancy, land
availability and value, lagoon depth limitations, earthwork costs
availability and adequacy of fields for dry weather application of
manure slurry and the methods and costs for field application.
Hew Barn Environment - Cattle Health
Some observations were made relative to the affect of the roof over the
confinement area upon the environment for the cattle. Table 1 ot
Appendix A shows spot check data on temperatures and humidity m the
new barn, in one of the older loafing sheds, and outs.de of all
buildings. Other data, obtained on recording thermometers, was also
obtained but is too voluminous for inclusion in a report. In general,
the new barn was from 1 to 5°F cooler than the outside during warm
sunny summer days and from 2 to 5°F warmer on cold winter days. Wind
or air velocity measurements were not made but there seldom was any
apparent lack of air ventilation in the barn. In fact, the barn seemed
to be excessively drafty even on quiet days prior to the time that the
south wall or prevailing wind face of the barn was enclosed. On a few
days of cold humid weather, there was some moisture condensation
2k
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and dripping from the metal roof, but this did not appear to have great
significance. In summary then, the effect of the roof or the confine-
ment pens seems to be a slight but significant trend towards a warmer
environment during cold weather and towards a cooler environment during
warm summer days. Obviously, the cattle under the roof had little
exposure to direct sunshine in either winter or summer, but they also
had a greatly reduced exposure to rainfall and snowfall.
It was initially planned that records of incidence of all diseases for
cattle housed in the new barn would be compared with similar records
for cows housed or confined in the old facilities. In order for such
comparison to provide a valid objective assessment of the disease
impact of the totally roofed confinement, there would need to be a high
degree of isolation between the two groups of cows. It did not prove
to be practical to achieve such isolation. First, all cows from both
groups had to go through some common alleys and pens and the same
milking parlor twice each day. Secondly, farm operations and herd
management plans had to be considered in terms of production objectives
as well as research objectives. It was not practical to avoid transfers
of individual cows from one group to the other. Finally, the actual
maintenance of separate group health or disease records proved to be
too complicated for achievement under the circumstances at the Project.
Quite properly, other necessary operations and objectives had to be
assigned a higher priority than did maintenance of research health
records.
Assessment of the impact of covered confinement on cattle health at this
Project must, for the above reasons, be subjective rather than objective.
The supervisor of the Honor Farm, in commenting on his observations of the
facilities up to November, 1971, attributes an "appreciable reduction of
disease in the herd" to the sheltering effect of the roofed confinement
including the wind-blocking effect of enclosing the total south wall of
the new barn. (See Appendices A and 8).
A very comprehensive program was initiated to evaluate the impact of the
Project facilities and operations on one rather specific aspect of
cattle health, namely mastitis. This disease {or, more properly,
grouping of several disease or injury conditions) is characterized by
inflammation in one or more quarters of the udder, high leucocyte
counts in the milk from the infected or afflicted mammary quarters,
and other varying symptoms of distress or abnormality in the cow. 'Milk
production and quality may be expected to drop anywhere from slightly
to drastically. Productivity may or may not be restored after, and 'if,
a cure is effected. There are apparently several species of causitive
organisms and several possible methods of transmission for infection.
In short, mastitis can and does have a very significant impact on the
economic success of a dairy farm operation.
It was generally speculated that the confinement environment of the new
barn, as contrasted to the existing facilities, would probably favorably
25
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alter the incidence of mastitis. c :h favorable response could develop
because of improved confinement area sanitation, reduced physical
injuries to cows, reduced weather stress, or other unrecognized factors.
Though a great number of mastitis screening tests were conducted and
several hundred pages of data were assembled and analyzed, a positive
quantitative assessment of the relationship of mastitis incidence to
the new Project facilities has not been accomplished. The number of
uncontrolled or uncontrollable variables and factors that were associ-
ated with the operations of both the new and existing facilities
preclude any subjective evaluation of the data. It is entirely pos-
sible that a significant actual reduction in mastitis did result
simply because the testing program increased the attention and aware-
ness of all personnel to the problem. Subtle and even unrecognized
changes in herd management practices must be assumed to have occurred.
In any event, there is no indication that the frequency or severity
of cases of mastitis has been adversely altered by the Project
facilities or operations.
Manure Cleaning or Collection
Several methods or procedures for removing the manure from confinement
areas were considered. As mentioned in Section VIM, Appendix D, some
previous pilot scale tests (1) had been conducted at Washington State
University. These tests indicated that hydraulic washing of urine and
feces might be practical. In those initial test series, orifices of
various sizes and spacings were drilled into 2-inch diameter pipe
sections. These test sections were then mounted in adjustable brackets
on old bicycle wheels in such manner that the height above the confine-
ment slab and the angle of jet impingement on the slab could be adjusted
as desired. Figure 3 shows one such test in progress. Cleaning
effectiveness was observed with variations in such factors as water
pressure, orifice size, orifice spacing, impingement angle, orifice
height, rate of travel, degree of dryness or fluidity of on-slab manure,
slab roughness and slope of the slab.
As a result of the above tests, a second generation series of tests were
initiated using a somewhat more elaborate pilot model of "hydraulic
broom". This model was equipped with special nozzles that delivered a
flat, fan-shaped, jet. Figure ^ shows this second model in operation.
Though only a limited amount of testing was done with this pilot model,
the results were quite encouraging.
Operating with the special nozzles spaced at 12-inch centers, an angle
of slab impingement of about 15 to 20 degrees, just enough height above
the slab so that the fanned jets just merged at the point of impingement,
and with 200 psi pressure; the "broom" could thoroughly clean a heavily
laden slab at rates of 2 to 2 1/2 feet of travel per second. This hand-
propelled test unit was supplied by a heavy walled, 1 1/2-inch diameter
hose from a stationary pump, so the length of runs were limited to
26
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Figure 3. Drilled Orifice "Hydraulic Broom" During Early
Manure Flushing Experiments
Figure 4. Second Generation "Hydraulic Broom" Pilot Model
During Manure Flushing Experiments
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about 15 to 20 feet. It appeared that it would be possible to flush
off manure with considerably less than 20 gallons of water per cow-day.
Both cleaning speed and effectiveness were so encouraging that con-
struction of a full scale, truck-mounted, model was immediately initi-
ated.
The development and results of the tank-truck-mounted "hydraulic broom"
were briefly described on pages 92 and 93 of Section VIII of this report,
The first problem that developed was the failure of a military surplus
pump-engine unit to deliver the combination of flow and pressure
necessary. Using a different pump, it was possible to achieve the
necessary 200 psi of pressure. It was then possible to hydraulically
clean the manure laden slab for a travel distance of 20 or 30 feet.
The problem then was that a slurry mass would build up ahead of the
"broom" after about 20 to 30 feet. This thick slurry mass was not
able to flow away ahead of the "broom" at anything approaching the
speed of travel of the "broom". While the hydraulic energy of the
jets was sufficient to suspend the manure solids and push the
resultant slurry into a 3' to 4-inch deep sloppy "puddle", the jets
could not continue pushing the "puddle". A hydraulic jump would form
where the high velocity fan-shaped spray encountered the viscous
"puddle". The "puddle" would then soon build up and flood back past
the jets in a mess of no small proportions. Unfortunately, two rolls
of film which contained all pictures of the full scale truck-mounted
hydraulic flushing rig or "broom" were lost so no photographs of the
un i t now exi st.
It was speculated that hydraulic flushing might still be possible if
conditions were changed to avoid the limitations imposed by the
"unpushable puddle". Obviously, the mobile "broom" could not flush
the ever-increasing puddle of manure slurry along the full 115-foot
length of a confinement pen. It might be possible, though, to set
the spray booms at an angle oblique to the direction of travel and
thus "windrow" the slurry aside as the "broom" moved forward. It was
with this possibility in mind, along with other considerations, that
the design layout of pens C and D were altered to include grate-covered
longitudinal gutters as shown in Figure 27 on page 97- With these
longitudinal gutters, the manure slurry would only need to be flushed
laterally a distance of 22 feet maximum. Available time on the Project
ran out before the mobile "hydraulic broom" could be modified and
tested, however. The idea still has sufficient merit to justify
further exploration and may yet be attempted someday.
A second provision that was made for cleaning manure from the slab in
pen A was the installation of dri1led-orifice plastic pipe headers
around the perimeter of the pen. In forming the pen-side base of the
concrete mangers and the base for pen perimeter walls, recessed slots
were provided for installing the dri1led-orifice headers. (See page
92 of Section VIM. The multiple jets from these headers were directed
to impinge on the concrete pen floor and spread out into a sheet flow
across the slab.
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Though several different sizes and spacings of orifices were tried in
pen A, flushing success was limited. Near the point of impingement,
the manure was flushed away from the perimeter walls, but the water
tended to establish, and concentrate in, flow channels which did not
carry much manure to the collection sump at the end of the pen. Any
hay spilled from the mangers tended to resist being flushed away.
Actually, the slab surface immediately in front of the mangers had
somewhat less manure accumulation than did areas approximately 1 cow-
length or more away from the mangers.
The insufficiency of success with hydraulic flushing made it necessary
to resort to mechanical means for excrement removal from the confine-
ment slabs. Two modifications of tractor-mounted slab cleaning equip-
ment were used. One was a conventional metal scraper blade mounted on
the rear of a farm tractor. The second modification involved replacing
the metal scraper blade with a nylon-bristle broom as shown in Figures
5 through 8.
With either device, slab cleaning was scheduled for each pen at the
time the cattle of that pen were removed for one of two daily milkings.
Gates at either end of the pen could thus be left open and cattle did
not interfere with equipment movement. The manure from the short stub
alleys between bedded stalls was first either bladed or broomed out
onto the main 30-foot wide (22-foot wide in pen C) pen area. The
tractor then made repeated longitudinal passes from the outside end of
the pen to the drop slot (into the manure collection sump) at the
central alleyway gate at the other end of the pen.
In some instances, the perimeter spray headers were turned on before
cleaning started to increase the fluidity of the accumulated manure.
In other cases the water was turned on after the manure was partially
removed. In still other cases, the perimeter water sprays were not
used at all.
In the case of pen C, which was only 22 feet wide and had the longi-
tudinal grate-covered gutter to convey manure to the collection sump,
the manure could be deflected laterally to the gutter by either a
metal blade or the nylon broom. There was some problem with hay stems
and other fibrous solids fouling up the grates but the system seemed
to function well, otherwise. The perimeter spray system seemed to be
especially helpful in cleaning this pen. The circulating slurry flow
in the gutter was adequate to flush solids through the Fiberglas-1 ined
circular-cross-sectioned gutter without plugging up.
The metal scraper blade seemed to be the preferred choice for some of
the farm personnel while the nylon broom seemed better to others. The
blade seemed to be slightly faster, but the broom seemed to leave a
slightly cleaner pen surface. Considering that the cows would be back
29
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Figure 5. Nylon-Bristled Manure "Scraper" Mounted on Tractor
Figure 6. Nylon-Bristled Manure "Scraper" Operating in
Alleyway Between Bedded Stalls
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Figure 7. Nylon-Bristled Manure "Scraper" Operating on Main
Surface of Holding Pen A
Figure 8. Nylon-Bristled Manure "Scraper" Discharging a Pushed
"Load" into Drop Slot of Manure Collection Sump
3/
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defecating on the slab within 20 minutes anyway, perhaps the degree
of surface cleanliness was of minor importance. It is logical to
assume that the metal blade would wear away the roughness of the con-
finement slab, intentionally provided by brooming the wet concrete
when placed, much faster than would the nylon broom device. This^
rough surface was needed to prevent the cows from slipping and injuring
themselves. Also, any concrete derived "grit" in the manure slurry
would either increase the wear on manure slurry pumps or would accumu-
late to reduce capacity in the collection sumps. The wear rate on the
bristles of the nylon broom seemed to be essentially zero.
A limited amount of excrement was defecated inside the bedded stall
areas. The cattle, almost without exception, would enter head-first
into the k 1/2-foot wide by 7-foot long-bedded stalls. This placed
the defacating-urinating end towards the stub alleyways. Apparently,
cows usually stand up for these functions so very little manure and
urine was deposited in or on the wood shavings used for bedding of the
stalls. The bedded stall areas were not paved so urine could soak
through the bedding, the sand fill under the bedding, and on down into
the gravelly fill material under the barn. The stalls were periodically
"policed up" by a man with a fork who manually tossed the droppings out
into the stub alleys just prior to the daily mechanical cleaning
operation. Some wood shavings and chips got mixed into the manure in
this manner. A far greater amount of shavings and chips got into the
on-slab manure by being tracked or kicked out of the stalls by the
cows. One or two inches of new bedding was added periodically and
occasionally the old bedding was removed and replaced. The removed
bedding was hauled out for field disposal rather than being added to
the liquid manure slurry system.
Cattle Feeding and Watering
The system and procedure for feeding the cattle was probably not
significantly different than at many other Pacific Northwest dairies.
The cattle were fed what the writer (not a livestock nutritionist,
certainly) would regard as a high roughage diet at the confinement
areas and some grain or grain-based feed while in the milking parlor.
During the growing season, freshly cut forage was the basic feed with
some hay supplement. During the remainder of the year, the cattle
were feed locally grown and stored silage plus either baled or cubed
hay imported to the farm.
The pens, mangers, and service alleys were arranged so that freshly
cut green chopped forage could be mechanically discharged directly
from the field forage wagons to the manger along the entire length of
a pen. When baled hay was fed, it could also be hauled on a truck in
the service alley, broken open, and placed directly into the mangers.
The cubed hay from bulk storage or silage from the large bunker-type
silo were loaded into a mechanical forage box and mechanically
discharged to the manger. An inclined grill of pipe work along the pen-
side of the mangers (visible to the left in Figure 7) reduced the
32
-------
amount of hay or silage that might either spill out on the confinement
slab while the mangers were being filled or be rooted out by the cows
while they were eating. This grill also prevented bossy-dispositioned
cows from driving other cows away from her immediate feeding area at. a
manger. Essentially then, feeding in the new barn facility was quite
efficient but not particularly different than at many other dairies.
Though initially included in plans, time and motion studies on feeding
operations were never undertaken to quantitatively measure feeding time
requirements because of time demands for other Project needs.
The watering of cattle in the first pens of the new barn was initially
accomplished by an overhead float-controlled reservoir and a distri-
bution system as discussed on page 90. Three troughs or drinking cups
were installed in each pen. The level in each trough was float-
controlled and supplied by exposed gravity PVC lines extending from
the overhead reservoir. It was planned that the tank and lines would
be drained if in-barn temperatures indicated a possibility of freeze-up.
The first such occurrence, however, was quite fast and severe resulting
in almost total loss of the entire watering system. Concrete watering
troughs were then built into sections of the manger and supplied
through float valves from underground pressure lines. This method of
watering the cattle proved to be satisfactory. Except for maintenance
of the float valves and periodic cleaning of the troughs, watering was
tota11y automat i c.
Manure Collection Sumps
The consistency of manure or manure slurry that was bladed, broomed,
or flushed into the collection sumps varied quite appreciably depending
upon several factors. When the perimeter flushing system in pen A was
used, the resulting slurry that entered the sump through the drop slot
was quite fluid. Without such water usage, the accumulated mass was
of a stiff-paste consistency. Spilled hay and silage tended to further
reduce the fluidity. Even with flushing water usage, however, the
slurry tended to separate into a settled solids deposit on the bottom
of the collection sump, a very dirty water layer, and a thin floating
layer of shavings, chips, and hay stems. An appreciable amount of
inert sand and grit, from the bedded stalls or from erosion of the
roughened concrete, settled to form a very dense layer on the extreme
bottom of the sump. Some baling wire, rocks, and other "junk" found
its way into the sumps and also settled to the extreme bottom layer.
The central manure slurry tank was not yet functional when cattle were
first permanently installed in pen A in July, 1968. From that tiim:
until Jecember, 1968, all generated slurry had to be pumped through
a temporary portable line into a truck-mounted liquid spreader tank
for field application. No attempt was made to monitor or sample this
manure slurry for several reasons. Representative samples could have
been obtained only while the mobile chopper pump rig was operating as
33
-------
an in-sump agitator. The loading and hauling of liquid manure was done
sporadically. The young non-producing heifers in pen F contributed an
unknown quality and quantity of manure to the first or south collection
sump. Manure from this pen was not routinely scraped into the sump but
was hauled out as solid material. Some urine and spilled water from
this pen did drain to the sump, however. Meaningful data could only
have been obtained by being continuously present to sample each 500-
gallon tankful of liquid manure and by running innumerable analyses.
All Project personnel were too busily engaged in other activities
related to getting other facilities finished to devote the required
time to sampling and analyses.
When manure slurry was to be removed from one of the collection sumps,
the mobile chopper pump rig was driven down the central alleyway and
positioned adjacent to the 2-foot by 4-foot hatch in the sump roof.
(See Figure 26 on page 95). With the hatch removed, the pump itself
could be lowered into the sump. The gear head of the pump was then
connected by a splined drive shaft to the rear axle drive of the pump
rig chassis. Initially, the pump was connected to the temporary
spreader tank-loading line but after December, 1968, the connection
was to the 4-inch PVC slurry transfer line extending to the central
manure slurry tank. An internal flap valve on the pump proper was
then set to recirculate and agitate the contents of the sump. On some
occasions it was felt necessary to add some water to the sump to dilute
the slurry. The pump was operated for about one or two minutes to
resuspend and blend the sump contents. The agitation nozzle of the
pump could be swivelled through about 180 degrees of horizontal arc
and angled down to sweep over essentially any part of the sump floor.
It was eventually discovered that the pump was not being used suffi-
ciently long as an agitator. This allowed a heavy sand-manure "pack"
to accumulate at the corners and bottom of the end walls. The sand
was presumably largely derived from the bedded stalls. The sand
level in the stalls was lowered to reduce this problem but not before
a very large amount of sand had accumulated in the central manure
slurry tank.
Several problems did develop with the mobile chopper pump rig. These
problems led to a modification of the collection sump arrangement and
elimination of the mobile pump rig as discussed on pages 9*» through
96 in Section VIM. The electrically powered stationary pump installed
in the third sump and 15-inch concrete slurry line connecting all
of the sumps did prove to be satisfactory. This arrangement was
significantly less prone to damage and trouble than had been the mobile
pump rig. Some problems with chips contained in the bedding material
did occur, but without serious or lasting consequence.
-------
MANURE TRANSPORT, STORAGE, AND TREATMENT
Transfer and Storage
The first operation of the central manure slurry tank was in December,
1968. It was filled to various depths with water to test the turbine
agitator and the high pressure chopper pump in the adjacent ^-foot
diameter sump. It did appear that the central manure slurry tank
agitator would be adequate to produce a uniform suspension of manure
slurry. Subsequent operation with actual manure slurry revealed that
the turbine was incapable of resuspending the bottom deposit in the
tank when it contained an appreciable amount of sand. Two auxiliary
1/2-inch diameter mixing jets, operating on the discharge of the high
pressure chopper pump, were subsequently installed for supplemental
agitation. With such added mixing power, all but the coarsest sand
was resuspended. After achieving resuspension of a tankful of slurry,
it appeared that the central turbine alone could maintain a reasonable
degree of homogeneity during the period required for sampling and for
pumping the tankful on to its next destination. This destination was
either one of the anaerobic storage lagoons or one of the fields via
the field distribution system.
The slurry line from the high pressure chopper pump to the anaerobic
storage lagoons was not completed until March, 1969- All manure slurry
derived from the barn between December, 1968, and March, 1969, was
pumped to the central manure slurry tank and then applied directly to
the northwest corner of field E by way of the field distribution system.
This manure slurry was not volumetrically measured or sampled.
It was intended that all batches of slurry transferred through the
central manure slurry tank would be thoroughly mixed to establish
homogeneity, measured for volume, and sampled for constituent analysis
before being transferred on to its next destination. This, it was felt,
would provide a record of the amount and composition of all manure
applied to designated areas in the fields. It would also make it
possible to run an accumulative mass balance on the constituents in
the lagoons so that destruction, conversion, and loss could be evalu-
ated. Table 1 presents the recorded data on transfers through the
central manure slurry tank from March, 1969, through July, 1970.
If one takes the amounts of total volume, total solids, volatile solids,
ammonia nitrogen, organic nitrogen, and total nitrogen that came from
the barn between March 3, 1969, and June 25, 1969 (excluding the period
from June 5 to June 28 when solid results are not available) and divides
these amounts by 66 days x 126 cows = 8,316 cow-days, the following
unit values are obtained:
Slurry Volume kk.Qk gal./cow-day
Total Solids 13-28 Ibs./cow-day
Volatile Sol ids 11.10 Ibs./cow-day
Ammonia Nitrogen 0.2^5 Ibs./cow-day
35
-------
Date
Volirae Source Desti-
Table 1
Manure Transferred Through Central Manure Slurry Tank
Concentrations (grams/liter)
Mass Quantities (pounds)
05-23-69
04-07-69
O-i-16-69
0-1-23-69
03-0?-6'J
05-2S-69
u-j-c:-o9
06-05-09
Oti-04-09
06-03-69
06-16-69
06-25-0!'
06-26-69
06-27-69
06-50-69
07- 10-69
07- 17-0-."
07-21-69
03-0.'.-69
OS- 11-69
OS-2U-69
OS-22-69
03-2S-69
OS-2S-69
C3-02-69
09-03-09
09-04-C-9
09-05-69
0 9-0!? -69
C3-10-69
09-11-09
09-12-69
09-18-69
09-19-09
(gal.)
46.000
•16,000
50,000
5 3,. U!0
56,01)0
61,000
•11 ,5l!0
58,300
5S.500
5(),IOO
6'J , 30U
50.0UO
61,200
59,500
25,000
51 ,000
5^.100
.10,500
45,500
61. .200
53,S:K)
5.5,000
25,000
:.r..ooo
25,000
25,000
50,000
•56,000
40,000
55,000
30, COO
20,000
40,000
40,000
*
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
L-l
L-l
L-l
B
B
L-l
L-l
L-l
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
L-l
M
M
L-l
L-l
M
M
M
N
M
M
nation! To tal Vol.
** SolidsSolids
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
E-0
E-0
E-0
L-l
A-l
A-2
A-2
A- 5
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
A-6
A-5
A- 4
A-7
E-l
E-2
E-3
L:-<;
E-5
E-6
E-7
E-8
24.
36.
44.
40.
44.
-
23.
15.
23.
23.
52.
37.
36.
55.
31.
41.
65.
69.
63.
78.
6t>.
71 .
60.
59.
66.
65.
6S.
70.
63.
71.
69.
53.
50.
63.
3
5
0
0
9
7
4
0
0
3
1
2
4
8
4
7
2
8
4
0
3
3
7
4
2
1
6
0
3
2
2
8
4
19.0
27.0
35.2
32.0
37.3
-
24.8
1 1.3
13.6
17.2
27.1
29.3
30.1
29.4
26.2
34.3
55. 3
58. 0
55.7
66.6
55.1
61.1
50.6
SO. 4
55.2
53.4
57.0
5?. 8
53. 4
61.5
53.. 1
44.5
42.8
54.1
COD
_
-
-
37.7
36.1
42.0
30.4
17.3
24.3
24.3
36.9
35.0
45.4
31.9
36.6
42.0
SO. 8
86.0
77.2
77.2
79.2
76. S
69.7
62.4
80.4
73.9
71.3
76.1
64.5
S3. 4
64.6
54.4
54.6
06.5
BOD
5-day
20°C
7.2
7.5'
10.0
9.9
10.4
10.0
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
8.2
7.3
7.1
7.7
7.3
6.7
4.8
6.7
5.4
Air.monia
Nitrogen
as
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
1.
0.
1.
1.
0.
0.
0.
1 .
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
N
69
82
87
79
66
90
47
53
50
67
41
73
67
61
49
6S
95
09
95
05
06
92
96
90
11
S3
96
93
96
76
94
76
79
86
Organic
Nitrogen
as N
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
.75
.93
.95
.82
.79
.94
.65
.46
.52
.57
.79
.58
.74
. 73
.65
.66
'.02
. 16
. 15
.29
.24
.13
.04
.92
. 16
.09
.07
.00
.09
.24
.14
.95
.95
.99
Total I
Nitrogen
1 'Total
Solids
Vol. Arinonia
Solids Nitrogen
as N
1
1
I
I
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
.44
.75
.82
.61
.45
.84
.11
.99
.02
.24
.20
.31
.41
.34
.12
.34
.97
.25
.10
.34
.30
.05
.00
.32
.27
.97
.05
.93
.05
.00
.08
.71
.74
.85
9522
13926
1S34S
17814
20970
-
10279
7514
11221
10780
1S66S
15471
184 78
11662
6630
17609
30739
23547
25S06
40016
1S605
31?16
12572
12447
13544
13594
28598
27085
226S5
20953
17314
8374
16947
21 150
72S9
1055S
13S44
14251
17420
-
S5S4
5513
9075
8062
15663
1221S
15563
9635
' 5-163
'14539
25873
19756
21721
33993
15532
27007
10550
1030S
11309
1 1 1 34
23769
22942
194S2
17592
14612
7425
1427S
18048
as N
265
515
365
352
50S
458
163
259
244
314
257
304
342
201
102
239
444
371
334
556
299
407
200
1SS
231
183
400
357
320
222
235
127
264
287
Organic
Nitrogen
as N"
288
557
596
565
369
478
225
22-J
254
207
457
242
573
240
151
281
477
395
465
658
350
513
217
192
242
227
446
384
364
362
285
153
317
330
Total 1
Nitrogen
as N
552
671
759
717
677
936
3SS
483
493
581
693
546
720
4-il
.253
570
922
766
8-9
1194
648
920
417
3SO
473
411
846
7-0
654
5S4
520
:S5
580
617
-------
Dace
Volume Source Desti-
Table 1-cont.
Manure Transferred Through Central Manure Slurry Tank
Concentrations (grams/liter)
Mass Quantities (pounds)
09-22-69
09-M-uT
09-24-6'.)
09-26-69
09-30-69
10-06-03
10-06-09
10-09-09
10-10-69
10-15-69
10-25-69
10-30-69
il-05-69
11-15-69
11-21-69
1 i - 2 0 - (/.'
1 -05-69
1 -0?-69
1 -17-Gi>
1 -25-6?
1 -50-69
01-03-70
01-15-70
01-21-70
01-28-70
02-02-70
02-11-70
02-19-70
02-27-70
03-06-70
05-13-70
03-19-70
03-23-70
(gal.)
53,000
45,000
52,000
30,000
35,000
12,000
50,000
50,000
40,000
61,200
66.500
3J,i)C;0
66,000
60,000
45.000
51,000
-5 5,-; 00
65, 500
SI, 000
66,000
74 , 0:;0
65,000
61,000
56,000
61,000
66,4 00
77,000
02,000
65,000
73,000
71,000
55,000
70,000.
*
M
;.;
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
B
B
3
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
;.;
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
nation|Total Vol.
** SolidsSolids
E-9
E-10
E-ll
E-12
A- 8
L-l
A- 9
A- 10
A- 11
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
L-l
D-l
D-2
D-3
D-4
D-4
D-4
D-5
D-5
D-6
D-6
D-7
D-7
D-8
D-9
L-2
61.3
48.8
50.2
35.2
46.4
52.6
52.0
40.2
30.5
51.3
65.4
58. 4
48. 1
45.6
55.6
54.9
36.1
41.0
44.2
55.1
51.3
54.9
57.2
44.1
35.3
55.3
43.1
51.1
62.3
48.8
30.3
35.5
49.2
52.4
41,4
42.3
28.6
38.3
43.2
43.2
32.7
24.6
42.4
54.2
4S.4
39.9
3S.S
45.3
43.5
29.8
34.9
37.4
29.4
43.8
47.3
49.7
38.0
27.5
48.7
56.2
45.0
55.6
41.8
25.4
28.3
42.1
COD
68. 9
50.2
57.4
45.5
54.2
57.0
57.0
51. S
33.2
56.0
71.4
63.0
53.0
33.7
56.6
54.7
40.6
42.5
50.0
42.6
65.0
64 . 2
28.8
40.6
42.5
53.8
61.0
49.4
52.4
57.2
34.2
35.0
46.6
BOD
5-dny
20°C
5.4
5.0
5.2
4.9
6.3
7.0
7.0
5.2
4.4
5.4
7.4
7.5
6.5
5.9
6.9
5.9
0.0
6.2
6.2
5.4
6.4
6.7
8.9
7.4
2.7
6.4
7.1
8.2
8.3
7.8
5.9
6.0
0.9
Ammonia
Nitror.en
as
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
1.
1.
0.
0.
0.
1.
1.
0.
0.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
0.
1.
1.
1.
1.
0.
0.
1.
1.
1.
1.
0.
0.
0.
N
90
75
SO
07
91
OS
03
78
66
95
18
29
99
97
11
00
11
01
06
97
14
36
55
15
97
96
04
13
20
23
65
68
S3
Organic
Nitrogen
as N
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
.02
.91
.90
.69
.86
.93
.98
.05
.51
.83
.04
.98
.95
.89
.03
.90
.87.
.90
.91
.S3
.93
.04
.99
.92
.76
.85
.01
.97
.02
.16
.79
.90
.93
Total 1! Total
Nitrogen Solids
Vol. Acraonia
Solids Nitrogen
as N
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
.92
.65
.70
.37
.77
.06
.06
.S3
.17
.78
.22
.27
.94
.86
.14
.90
.98
.91
.97
.SO
.07
.40
.34
.07
.73
.81
.05
.10
.22
.39
.44
.58
.76
17893
18315
21771
8307
13544
5264
21934
10763
10175
26439
36162
24569
26476
25100
20116
25351
13067
21713
29S59
19320
31660
29761
29100
20596
16941
30624
27678
26423
35773
29710
17942
162S4
28725
15296
15537
1S562
7156
111SO
4323
18014
15636
8207
21641
29970
201S3
21963
21357
17001
20544
10786
1S4S3
23265
16183
27032
25641
2528-1
17748
15990
26969
23247
23269
30141
25449
15040
12981
24578
as N
265
231
547
168
266
103
450
325
220
485
652
533
545
534
417
425
402
535
716
534
704
737
687
537
493
532
663
584
651
749
335
312
465
Organic
Nitrogen
as N
298
342
590
173
251
9S
409
433
170
424
577
409
523
490
587
5S3
315
477
615
457
574
564
504
430
3S7
471
649
502
553
706
468
413
543
Total |
Nitrogen
a j N
560
623
737
340
517
206
859
763
590
909
1230
- 947
106S
1024
803
SOS
717
1012
1331
991
1278
1501
1190
967
SSO
1002
1516
1086
1203
1455
855
725
1027
-------
Date
Voluae Source Dcstl-
Table 1-cont.
Manure-Transferred Through Central Manure Slurry Tank
Concentrations (grams/liter)
(gal.)
04-03-70 67,503 M
04-10-70 51,000 M
04-17-70 45,000 M
04-:-7-7C 68.400 M
05-OS-70 6i),5(10 M
05-15-70 51,000 M
03-21-70 41,000 M
05-27-70 46.UCO M
OS-02-70 64, COO M
OS-16-70 61,000 M
06-23-70 57,000 M
07-01-70 51,000 M
07-OS-70 56,100 M
07-21-70 56.000 M
07-22-70 30,000 L-?
07-22-70 35,000 L- ?
07-24-70 25,000 L-?
07-24-70 40,000 L- 7
* Source Coc'cs
B = Manure fro.Ti the
L-l = Manure Rc-.oved
L-? = Manure Removed
nationl Total Vol.
** SolldsSolIds
L-2
L-2
L-2
L-2
L-2
L-2
E-TP
E-TP
E-TP
L-2
L-2
L-2
L-2
A- 12
A- 11
A- 10
A-9
A-8
40.0
81.3
73.1
77.3
36. S
S3. 2
64.1
53.3
62.4
68. S
56.8
46.6
59.6
33.4
33.3
49.3
62.9
39.1
35. 1
70.6
62.7
70.4
31.2
45.4
56. 2
44.8
53.0
57.6
47.9
40.2
SI. 3
27.0
31.9
41.1
53.4
31.0
COD
49.3
89.1
70.3
76.2
85.2
66.0
S-I.O
59.1
64.4
57.8
76.5
40.3
56.7
45.0
49.4
55.3
63.5
53.5
300
5-day
20°C
7.0
9.4
7.9
15.7,
8.7
11. S
8.2
10.2
4.9
7,4
9.5
4.8
5.3
4.9
6.1
6.1
7.9
3.0
rduTio n ia
Nitrogen
as N
1.12
1.57
1.41
1.33
0.69
0.34
1.00
0.96
1.00
0.96
0.79
0.73
0.89
0.69
0.72
0.77
0.92
0.93
Organic Total 1 I Total Vol. An^-.onia
Nitrogen Nitrogen Solids Solids Nitrogen
as N
1.09
1.18
1.03
1.49
0.7S
1.06
1.15
1. 19
1.22
1.24
0.95
0.90
1. IS
0.71
0.77
0.88
1.00
0.95
**
.New Barn
from A
naerobic
Storage
Lagoon "1
fro.71 an Anaerobic Storage
Lagoon
as N
2.21 22618 18716
2.75 345SO 30029
2.44 27434 23531
2.87 44096 401CO
1.47 1SS6S 15743
1.90 22633 19310
2.15 21918 19217
2. IS 20640 17187
2.22 33507 2S2S9
2.20 34S49 29303
1.7J 27001 22771
1.63 19821 17099
2.07 27SS5 24002
1.40 35599 12610
1.49 95S3 79S1
1.6S 14391 11997
1.92 13115 11114
l.SS 13044 10342
Destination Codes
L-l = Anaerobic Storage Lagoon
L-2 = Anaerobic Storage Lagoon
A to E + Number = The Field Do
as N
633
66S
529
782
34 S
357
342
363
534 .
4SS
376
310
416
322
ISO
225
192
310
n
52
signatt
Organic Total 1
Nitrogen Nitrogen
as N
616
502
3S7
850
394
451
393
457
651
631
452
3S3
552
332
193
257
208
317
:d by the
as N
1250
1170
916
1637
74;
803
735
S25
11E5
1119
S27
tS3
<, .-S
j54 '
373
482
4CO
627
Letter
But the Records Don't Reveal Khich One
Manure Accumulated as a Mixture from a Combination
of Sources: New Barn, Tank Trucked frora Old Barns,
or Removed frora Either of Anaerobic Lr.goons
and a Specific Plot Designated by
the Nuraber
-------
Organic Nitrogen 0.289 Ibs./cow-day
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen 0.53^ Ibs./cow-day
These data, in all respects but one, appear to be about as expected.
The volume of slurry was higher than anticipated, indicating either
that more flushing water was being used or that more water was being
added to the collection sumps when they were agitated for transfer than
was planned. To a very minor extent, the unit values may have been
slightly increased because of the slight amount of feces, urine, and
spilled trough water that was entering the south collection sump from
pen F, which held 50 or 60 young heifers at this time. That pen was
not being scraped or flushed into the collection sumps but, undoubtedly,
some liquids and solids did reach the collection sump.
Because of several considerations, the mass balance determination of
destruction, conversion, and loss of constituents in the anaerobic
storage lagoons could not be made. On at least two occasions, a
partial tankful of manure slurry was pumped to the lagoons without
first being measured or sampled. On another occasion, the agitator
motor for the central manure slurry tank cut out on the thermal over-
load switches just after starting to pump a large batch to the lagoons.
This allowed an unknown amount of the solids to be deposited and left
behind before the volume was completely transferred. These solids
then were mixed with another batch from the barn so that an appreciable
amount of solids was thus sampled twice. During one period, the records
indicate inputs to the anaerobic storage lagoons but do not indicate to
which of the two lagoons. BOD data for a series of 19 batches (879,000
gallons) was missed when the temperature control relay on the BOD bath
ralfunctioned. Finally, evaluation of destruction or conversion in the
lagoons depends on a computation of the balance between total input,
total withdrawal, and residual, if any, that remains at the time of
balance. The slurry recirculation system for agitating the large
lagoons was not capable of achieving homogeneity of the lagoon contents
to allow representative sampling of the residual material.
The process of transferring slurry to the anaerobic lagoons seemed
adequate. On one occasion, the valve to Lagoon No. 1 was left par-
tially open while slurry was being transferred to Lagoon No. 2. This
allowed a slight flow to the valve constriction with the result that
the influent line was solidly plugged with fibrous solids. It was
necessary to cut out and replace the plugged section since the solids
were too impacted to be removed.
The anaerobic storage lagoons appeared to be quite satisfactory in
terms of liquid retention or absence of exfi1tration . No additions
or withdrawals were made to Lagoon No. 1 for the period from June 1 to
July 15 of 1970. There was approximately 1 1M inches of rainfall
input during this period, less an unknown output loss by evaporation.
The lagoon level dropped only about 3A inches during this same period.
Assuming that the total 2 inches was indeed exfiltration (i.e. no
39
-------
evaporation), exf i 1 trat ion would ^,.1-, !:c 0.0^5 inches per day. I i
appears more likely that evaporation, even from the floating crust
on the lagoon surface, would account for most of the observed loss in
1i quid volume.
The system for agitating and withdrawing storage slurry from the
anaerobic storage lagoons proved to be usable but certainly not
entirely satisfactory. The intake end of the aluminum decanting line
was easy to lift out of the slurry to stop gravity flow of slurry to
the deep withdrawal pump sump. It was quite difficult, however, to
submerge the pipe when the lagoon was nearly full and the sump and
pipe were empty. Occasionally a large chunk of the floating crust
would block the inlet end of the withdrawal line while recirculating
and agitating the contents of the lagoon. The two jets on the inlet
line to a lagoon would break up the rafts of floating crust but only
after several hours of operation. It was necessary to change the
horizontal and vertical alignment or "aim" of the jets quite frequently
while breaking up the floating crust. The bottom deposits were con-
siderably easier to agitate but, again, the jet "aim" had to be
altered quite frequently. The solids would tend to restratify (float
and/or sink) in some areas of the lagoon while the jets were agitating
other sect ions .
The covering of the lagoon embankment surfaces with a surcharge of rock
prevented sloughing and erosion almost completely. A very small amount
of rock was disturbed when one of the agitating or mixing jets was
inadvertently directed to impinge on the lagoon embankment. Even then,
no damage was done. A slight amount of the floating crust was
"beached" on the rock surface as the level was drawn down, but this
crust was quite dry and caused no problems. After observing the
storage lagoon operations, it is suggested that a much better system
of withdrawal for field application is needed and could be developed.
It seems probable that a floating dredge concept, utilizing a chopper
pump as the dredge unit, would be quite satisfactory. The dredge
intake could be moved to the deposited solids rather than to try to
move the solids to a fixed withdrawal point in the lagoon. The dredge
discharge could be conveyed by heavy-duty hose to a booster pump
permanently mounted on the lagoon embankment. The permanently mounted
pump would then deliver the slurry to the field distribution system.
The absence of odors around the lagoons was especially worthy of note.
Even when the lagoons were being agitated after several months without
agitation, there was no particularly noticeable odor problems. It
cannot be said that there was never a detectable odor, but odor around
the lagoons was always within quite acceptable limits. The complete
absence of any detectable fly problem associated with the lagoons was
also noteworthy. A few rat-tailed maggots were noted but birds (mostly
starlings and some other small birds like killdeers) grazed over the
floating crust almost continuously, especially during the summer, with
the result that almost no insects ever migrated from the lagoons.
-------
In all, between March 28, 1969, and July 2k, 1970, some 1.9 million
gallons of slurry had been added to the lagoons and slightly more had
been reclaimed for field application. Direct precipitation into the
lagoons accounted for a residual volume of about 330,000 gallons in
the two lagoons combined. A very slight fraction of the liquor had
been withdrawn as settled anaerobic lagoon effluent or supernatant
for experimental treatment in the small activated sludge treatment
system.
Aerobic Treatment
As discussed in Section III - INTRODUCTION--Project Objectives, the
successful treatment of supernatant drawn from the anaerobic storage
lagoons was not critical to the overall success of the Project but
would be a subject of interest to some dairymen.
The first attempt to operate the activated sludge treatment facilities
started on April 19, 1970. No manure slurry had been added to Lagoon
No. 1 since December 9, 1969, nor had the lagoon been disturbed by any
reelrculating flow. The aluminum withdrawal pipe in Lagoon No. 1 was
lowered to approximately the midpoint between the top of the bottom
sludge layer and the bottom of the floating crust layer in order to
obtain supernatant of the lowest possible suspended solids concentration
The supernatant withdrawal flow was wasted into Lagoon No. 2 for about
30 minutes to clear the withdrawal line and the deep sump of chips and
other debris. Then the equalization tank was filled with the lagoon
supernatant.
Even after the long quiescent period in the anaerobic storage lagoon,
the supernatant that was withdrawn contained a significant amount of
wood chips and other fibrous material. It subsequently became apparent
that this supernatant had to be passed through a 1/^-inch mesh screen
in order to avoid constant problems of coarse suspended material
plugging up the feed pumps, constant head tank, pipelines, and ball
check valves on the activated sludge return pump.
The supernatant, as withdrawn from the anaerobic lagoon and after
coarse screening, had an organic strength varying from 3,500 up to
'i,300 mg. of 5-day BOD/1 iter. Total solids ranged from 7,000 to
12,000 mg./liter and volatile solids from 5,000 to 8,500 mg./liter.
The supernatant was extremely turbid and very highly colored.
The activated sludge aeration basin was filled with the supernatant
but continuous feed was not attempted at first. When the aerator
turbine was started, it immediately generated about 500 cu. ft. of
thick persistent foam which overflowed the aeration basin and oozed
away in all directions. This foam completely covered the turbine and
it must be presumed to have completely blocked the introduction of air
and thus oxygen by the turbine. Figure 9 shows the aeration tank
after 6 days without further addition of lagoon supernatant. Any
k\
-------
attempt to skim, shovel, or pump i,,e fustr, just allowed the turbine to
get more air to generate more foam. Water was added to flush out some
of the supernatant liquor and dilute the remainder.
Eventually, through dilution and a slow build-up of an activated sludge
biomass, the foaming problem was reduced to the point that the surface
turbine was exposed and effective as shown in Figure 10. The initial
build-up of the mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) was a slow process,
however, and it was several weeks before an attempt was made to operate
on a continuous flow basis. Sludge synthesis or build-up rates
appeared to be quite erratic but actually this was caused by variations
in the amount of sludge solids lost over the effluent weirs of the
final clarifier. The rate of intentional sludge wastage had to be
varied quite frequently in order to achieve any degree of control over
the concentration of mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS).
Sludge settling characteristics, which affected the return sludge
concentration and thus the MLVSS concentration, appeared to worsen
quite rapidly whenever the applied biomass loading had exceeded about
(M Ibs. of BOD/day/lb. of MLVSS. The result was an extremely unstable
control situation which was intensified by the small size of the treat-
ment plant. If at any time the sludge settling characteristics got
poorer; the rate of solids return to the aerator, as controlled by
the sludge pump adjustments, was reduced. This allowed a decrease in
the MLVSS concentration which in turn increased the BOD to MLVSS loading,
This would then cause even poorer sludge settling and the cycle con-
tinued to spiral downward towards poorer and poorer treatment. Since
the BOD strengths of the supernatant feed liquor was not known until
5 days after it was pumped to the equalization tank, control of biomass
loading was a matter of guesswork.
When almost constant attention could be directed to the operation of
the activated sludge plant, it was capable of reaching a high degree
of BOD removal. For example, at one point it was being feed 2.7
gal./min. of slightly diluted supernatant having 2,960 mg. BOD/1. With
an aeration volume of 3,200 gallons and a MLVSS concentration of 9,600
mg./l., the solids loading was 0.37 Ibs. BOD/day/lb. MLVSS. The
effluent BOD was 80 mg./l. which represented a 97-3 percent reduction.
This was certainly not a typical performance for treatment of the
anaerobic lagoon supernatant nor was it considered a safe treatment.
With 3,200 gallons of mixed liquor at 9,600 mg./l. of MLVSS followed
by a deterioration of settling characteristics so that the solids
could only concentrate to 5,000 mg./l. in the return sludge, one could
expect the next 3,000 gallons of effluent to also contain at least
5,000 rng./l. of volatile suspended solids. By operating with such a
high solids concentration in the mixed liquor, one invites a period
of serious trouble.
Perhaps a more typical performance was 85 to 90 percent BOD removal
from 1 to 2 gal./rnin. of supernatant feed when operating with 5,000
to 6,000 mg./l. of MLVSS. This also required almost constant atten-
tion to the feed rate, sludge return pump, sludge settling character-
istics, and mixed liquor concentration. Even assuming that the plant
-------
Figure 9. Activated Sludge Aeration Basin with Foam Blanket
at Initial Start-up
Figure 10. Diminished Foaming in Aerator after Biomass Development
-------
could operate with much less operating attention, however, it is
difficult to see much advantage offered to a typical dairy farmer.
With 90 percent BOD removal, the effluent would still contain from
300 to kQO mg./l. of BOD which would hardly be acceptable for discharge
to any watercourse. It could be used for irrigation water but pro-
bably the lagoon supernatant could have been used for that purpose
without the expense or trouble of aerobic treatment.
Even with the activated sludge plant operating at the 97-3 percent
removal efficiency, the effluent was highly colored. Figure 11 shows
the surface of the final clarifler during a period of operation with
about 90 percent BOD removal.
In August, the treatment of anaerobic lagoon supernatant alone was
discontinued. Wastewater from the milk processing plant was hauled to
the equalization tank in an 800-gallon tank truck. This wastewater
also contained some of the clean-up water from the milking parlor so
it was actually a mixture of milk processing waste and dilute manure
Figure 11. Final Clarifier, Scraper Drive, and Sludge Return
Pump. The Effluent Was Always Highly Colored
-------
slurry. It was also screened to remove bits of paper, swabs, etc.,
and any very coarse solids that might have been in the manure. The
strength of the waste batches accumulated in the equalization tank
varied from a low of 770 to a high of 2,900 mg. BOD/1. It was dif-
ficult to intercept much of this wastewater because the predominant
flow was of short duration, occurring mostly during the periods of
clean-up of the milking parlor and the processing plant. The same
tank truck was also used for field spreading manure slurry from the
older cattle housing facilities. This made it difficult to schedule
truck availability to coincide with wastewater availability. Because
of this problem, the treatment of milk processing wastewater was con-
tinued for only 11 days.
The activated sludge biomass, which was acclimated to the anaerobic
lagoon supernatant, seemed to show no lag period for acclimation to
the process wastewater. In fact, the first 900 gallons of process
wastewater was fed at 20 gal./min. in order to refill the final
clarifier which had been pumped out to inspect the sludge hopper and
scrapers.
The feed rate was varied each day depending upon how much wastewater
could be collected and trucked to the activated sludge facilities.
Problems with the feed pumps or activated sludge return pump occurred
during two nights and this caused some process upsets but performance
was reasonably good in spite of this. BOD removals of around 80 per-
cent were achieved with sludge loadings as high as 0.6 1bs. BOD/day/lb.
MLVSS. This did not result in a high quality effluent, of course, but
there is little reason to doubt that a good effluent quality could be
achieved with lower biomass loadings and better process control. The
effluent was slightly colored because of the presence of some manure
slurry in the wastewater but not nearly as colored as when the
anaerobic lagoon supernatant was being treated.
No further testing or operation of the activated sludge treatment
facilities was undertaken after the 11 days of operation on the milk
processing waste. It seemed rather pointless to attempt to reduce the
organic strength of the lagoon supernatant to the point that it could
be discharged to any stream because this would require a consistent
dependable removal efficiency of at least 98 or 99 percent.
LAMD APPLICATION OF MANURE
Table 1 on pages 36 through 38 presented the dates, amounts, and com-
position of nearly all batches of manure slurry transferred through
the central manure slurry tank. Not included in that table was the
slurry pumped from the collection sumps in the new barn to the central
manure slurry tank between December, 1968, and March, 1969- This
slurry was applied to the northwest corner of field E whenever the
central manure slurry tank was about half full.
-------
Figure 12 shows the location of eacn of the tabulated applications of
slurry. When the fourth column of Table 1, headed Destination, con-
tains the letter A, D, or E, it indicates to which of those fields
the slurry was applied. The number following the field designation
indicates the numbered circle within that field on Figure 12 to^which
that batch of slurry was applied. There were 16 batch applications
(counting the 6-26-69 and 6-27-63 applications as a single batch) to
field A, ]l* applications to field D, and 18 applications to field E.
This amounted to a total slurry volume of 2,1*21,000 gallons in the
H-month period from June, 1969, through July, 1970. The application
to D-l indicated on December 17, 1969, was more than one^tankful but
both portions were pumped on the same day and the composition was
determined from a proportionally composited sample.
In delivering the slurry from the high pressure chopper pump to a
selected application site, the 3~way valves of the underground PVC
pipeline were set to pressurize only the pipeline portions conveying
flow to the appropriate riser station. This greatly reduced any
opportunity for solids to be pumped into a plug in any section of the
pipeline. No one can say how many "plug-ups" might have occurred if
Tees and gate valves had been used instead of 3~way valves, but it is
important to note that n£ "plug-ups" did occur in the underground
i ne.
Portable ^-inch diameter aluminum pipe was coupled to the selected
riser station and strung out to the manure gun set at the center of
the desired application circle. The manure gun was capable of
"kicking around" in either direction, and was also capable of^reversing
its direction of rotation at any two selected points of the circle.
This made it possible to apply slurry to either a complete circle or
to any desired fraction of a circle. Applications E-6 and E-9 are
examples of such part circle applications.
The diameter of an application circle and the rate of application were
dependent upon the residual pressure at the gun which in turn was
governed by the pipeline head loss between the high pressure chopper
pump and the manure gun. The high pressure chopper pump and the manure
gun were supposedly designed to deliver about 200 gal./min. to a circle
of about 200-foot diameter. A venturi constriction in the pump dis-
charge was intended to prevent excessive discharge in the event that
a line should rupture or that an aluminum pipe joint accidentally
uncoupled while pumping. By observing draw down rates in the central
manure slurry tank during field applications, it was determined that
the system was delivering about 220 to 230 gal./min. when pumping to
points as remote as circle D-l. The diameter of the application
circle varied from about 230 feet for a circle as remote as D-l to as
much as 300 feet for circle E-0 close to the pump.
Assuming an approximate 235-foot diameter (one acre of area) for the
circles of application in fields A and D, each 10,000 gallons of
-------
o
o
Spray Application Circle
1969 Soil Sampling Point
.1970 Soil Sampling Point - After Application
1970 Soil Sampling Point - Before Application
Figure 12. Location of Field Application and Soil Sampling Points
-------
applied slurry would represent an applied liquid depth of 0.36? inches
and the mass quantities of solids or nitrogen would represent actual
loadings in pounds per acre. Assuming an average diameter of 270 teet
for circles of application in field E, each 10,000 gallons of slurry
would result in a liquid depth of 0.280 inches. Mass quantities shou d
be divided by 1.31 to obtain mass loadings in pounds per acre for field
E.
Figure 13 shows the manure gun in operation. About 12,000 gallons of
slurry had been applied at this setting when the picture was taken.
Two perpendicular lines of catch pans were strung out on 20-foot_
centers across circle E-0 on the second day (6-^-69) of application.
This was done to evaluate the degree of uniformity of the slurry
application within the circle. Comparing the measured volumes caught
in the various pans revealed no appreciable difference in Unapplied
volume per unit area except for a sharp decrease to zero application
in the outside 15 feet of the circle. There appeared to be a few more
large particles of wood shavings in the circular band between 20 to
60 feet out from the gun but no other non-uniformity in solids dis-
tribution over the circle could be detected by visual inspection of
either the catch pans or the ground surface. The circles were shifted
downwind on windy days but still appeared to distribute both l.qu.d
volume and solids quite uniformly over the circle.
Figure 13- Manure Gun in Operation. 12,000 Gallons Applied
At This Point
-------
Figure 13. Manure Gun in Operation. 12,000 Gallons Applied
at This Point
-------
There was a "drift" of fine mist that was detectable some 100 feet
beyond the edge of the application circle on still days. You could
feel this invisible mist as much as 300.feet away and downwind on
windy days. This mist was insignificant so far as slurry distribution
was concerned, but it may well be significant in terms of bacterial
dispersion. The significance of possible bacterial dispersion needs
to be investigated and evaluated.
The almost complete absence of odors around the anaerobic storage
lagoons was noted earlier in this report. When manure slurry that
had been removed from the anaerobic storage lagoons was being sprayed
on the fields, there was usually a noticeable, though not especially
objectionable, odor. Because descriptions of the type and intensity
of odor are so completely subjective, not everyone agrees on the
seriousness of the odor problem. In this writer's opinion, the odors
associated with spray application of the dairy manure slurry, even
when the slurry was drawn from the lagoons, were well within reasonable
limits of acceptability. On quiet, wind-free days, the odors did not
seem to persist long enough to be detected at 200 yards from the
circle. On windy days, the odors were usually dispersed below detect-
able limits within 200 to 300 yards. Whenever the manure gun was
turned off, the on-ground slurry deposit seemed to be instantly odor
free. Admittedly, this is a subjective evaluation and it is not
intended to apply to more than this Project and its particular
circumstances. Beyond question, some fresh dairy manure can stink and
might be expected to smell worse after anaerobic storage, but this did
not seem to be true in this case.
FIELD ASSIMILATION AND RUNOFF
The ability of agricultural lands to assimilate or retain an appli-
cation of manure slurry, and thus prevent a problem of a polluted runoff,
will depend upon a multitude of factors. The absence or presence and
abundance of vegetation, the amount of soil moisture, the amount of
slurry applied, the slope and roughness of the land surface, the
particle sizes and characteristics of the top soil and underlying soil
profiles, and the prevailing weather are but a few of the probable
factors governing the likelihood of polluted runoff during or following
the slurry application. Figure 13 showed an application on well tilled
soil after about 12,000 gallons (0.3^ inches) had been applied. Figure
1*4 shows the same circle after about 50,000 gallons (I.1* inches) had
been applied. Figure 15, on the other hand, shows a similar circle
in plowed, but otherwise until led, land after about 75,000 gallons
(2.1 inches) had been applied. When surface puddling and surface flow
occurs, the suspended and dissolved solids can flow to low spots to
cause uneven distribution of the slurry constituents.
If the water of the slurry can soak into the ground, the residual mat
of suspended solids may drain and air dry. Once partially dried, the
solids tend to cling or bond to the supporting soil or vegetative
-------
Figure 14. Same Application as in Figure 13 but after 50,000 Gallons
Figure 15, Effect of Rough Plowed Ground on Retention. This
Circle Has Received about 75,000 Gallons
-------
surfaces even if they are subsequently moistened or even washed by
rain. If so much slurry is applied that slow drying puddles form, or
if the weather doesn't permit even partial drying, the suspended and
colloidal solids are more easily resuspended in surface flows of rain
water.
The upper soil profile of the Honor Farm fields is an extremely fine
grained clay silt as indicated by the sieve analysis results on soil
samples taken from field A and shown in Table 1 of Appendix C. The
rate of water percolation or soak-in is quite low even in dry weather,
so low volume applications of slurry are desirable to prevent possible
runoff either at the time of application or during a heavy rainfall
soon after slurry application.
The application of 176,000 gallons (5.0 inches) of slurry to circle
E-0 on June 3, 4, and 5, 1969, and of 100,000 gallons (3.7 inches)
to circle A-2 on June 26 and 27, resulted in standing puddles and
uneven slurry distribution. Circle A-2 required several weeks to
dry. Circle E-0 had to be disked in order to dry out early enough to
allow seeding of test plots of silage corn and forage grasses. Cer-
tainly, any rainfall that would have caused runoff from these areas
would have resulted in a loss of manure nutrients and a significant
pollutant addition to receiving waters.
A small stream in a man-made channel forms the east and south bound-
aries of the Honor Farm. This stream flows through other pasture land
before it arrives at the northeast corner of field B-2 (identified as
inlet). It then flows along the east edg'e of field B-2, passes
through a culvert under the county road, flows southward along the
full east edge of field C, then flows westward to form the south
boundary of fields C, A, and D, and finally enters the Snoqualmie
River at the extreme southwest corner of the Honor Farm. Chlorinated
effluent from an aerobic domestic waste lagoon for the Farm began
entering the stream at the county road culvert during November or
December 1969. A smaller stream, carrying drainage from the area
south of the Farm, enters the perimeter stream at the southeast cor-
ner of the Farm. One tile drain discharges to the perimeter stream
from the east at about the middle of the field C boundary and another
enters from the south at about the boundary between fields A and D.
The bacteriological and chemical quality of the perimeter streams
were monitored during the Project period. Table 2 of Appendix C
presents the periodic bacteriological data. Table 3 of Appendix C
summarizes the chemical data. Figures 16, 17 and 18 graphically
indicate the fluctuations of COD, nitrates, and orthophosphates for
the stream. Table *» of Appendix C is a tabulation of data on the
algae populations found in the stream.
The water of the perimeter stream during all of the summer of 1969
was of higher chemical quality at its point of discharge to the
-------
INLET
SOUTH BOUNDARY
OUTLET -
RIVER ABOVE OUTLET
O
O
J)
1
-------
••= i.o
o
ir
H
2 0.6
cc
h-
INLET
SOUTH BOUNDARY
OUTLET -
RIVER ABOVE OUTLET
0.4
0.2 -
0.0
\ \
2> CD
6 oJ
!9S7
• 1 1 r-i r-^ 1 r^
— i 'V i i i .i i
• CJ 10 10 T 0 u> Is-
968
""""r [^ 1 jj
— OJ _ C\J
00 CO Oi —
- «"" »
CJ O|J , |
N tin *
1969
tG f°
*r oo
-------
un
-C-
OJ
CO
8 0.8
cr
o
CO
O CL6
U
X 0.4
U.
CO
o
X
0.
O 02
cc
o
0.0
INLET
SOUTH BOUNDARY
OUTLET -
RIVER ABOVE OUTLET
01
Ol
f\J
(\j <\J
ro ro
~—~^r—~*-
1 'I™"1
00 _
•t 01
T <*>
lor
O
<0 r^- ooob
1968
(0
O)
rl
(M
—
— S CC & OJ ^
OJ 'V , ' i CJ
^ t-L
< 969
FIGURE 18.0RTHOPHOSPHATE-PHOSPHOROUS IN STREAM DRAINING STATE FARM
-------
Snoqualmie River than at the inlet to the Farm. This had not always
been true for nitrates or orthophosphates during the.previous summer.
The bacteriological data tend to confirm the adverse effect to be
expected from heavy manure applications during the wet winter months.
Even though field D was rough surfaced from plowing without further
tilling, it was not capable of retaining the heavy slurry applications
imposed on it starting on December 17, 1969- The count for total
coliforms, fecal conforms, and fecal streptococci were all high on
December 18, 1969, following the 81,500 gallon application to circle
D-l on December 17- These counts remained generally higher than for
upstream points throughout the winter months indicating a runoff
contribution from field D.
In contrast to this, a great amount of slurry was applied to field A
in the summer and early fall months of 1969 without such continuous
and dramatic impact. The stream quality data are not sufficiently
extensive to prova the environmental superiority of summer time slurry
application to crop land, as compared to winter applications, but they
do support that contention.
Data was collected to determine vertical distribution of some pol-
lutants following summer spray applications of manure slurry to field
A. A single test hole was dug In five different circles on July 15,
1970, prior to test applications of manure slurry. Samples were
collected at depths of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 feet and were then analyzed
for soil particle size, soil moisture, chloride ion concentration,
total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci. Following
the applications of various amounts of manure slurry, three test
holes were made In each circle to obtain soil samples for similar
determinations (except particle size). The tabulation below shows the
amounts of slurry applied plus the elapsed time between slurry appli-
cation and post-application soil sampling.
Date Date Elapsed Slurry Amount
Slurry Sol 1 Time Applied
Circle Applied Sampled (Days) (Gallons) (Inches)
A-11 7-22-70 7-23-70 1 30,000 1.10
A-10 7-22-70 7-24-70 2 35,000 1.28
A-9 7-24-70 7-27-70 3 25,000 0.92
A-8 7-24-70 7-28-70 4 40,000 1.47
A-12 7-21-70 7-28-70 7 56,000 2.06
All of these circles had received manure slurry applications in
September or October of 1969. The pre-application tests revealed from
2,000 to 100,000 non-fecal coliforms per gram of soil at the surface,
not more than 400 non-fecal coliforms per gram at the 0.5-foot depth,
and no coliforms at greater depths. Fecal coliforms and fecal strep-
tococci were not detected at any depth before the test slurry appli-
cations. Table 5 of Appendix C shows the numbers of organisms
55
-------
detected at the various depths in the various test holes following
the test slurry applications. The applied slurry had contained an
average of 650,006 total coliforms and 330,000 fecal coliforms per
100 milliliters. Table 6 of Appendix C indicates the pre- and post-
application chloride concentrations of the soil. The results of sieve
analyses (as mentioned earlier) are to be found in Table 1 of Appendix
C. Soil moisture levels ranged from 13 to kO percent (average 27%)
before the test applications and were not significantly changed
after the slurry applications.
The chloride data indicates that moisture, carrying soluble chloride
ions, did penetrate as far as 3 feet down in the soil profile even
though the highest chloride increase was at the surface.
Only hole 3 in circle A-10 indicated penetration of fecal strepto-
cocci as far down as 3 feet. Hole 1 of circle A-9 showed fecal
streptococci penetration to the 2-foot depth but the much lower count
at the 1-foot depth makes the data for the 2-foot depth seem question-
able. With these two exceptions, fecal streptococci appear to be
totally filtered out. in the top 2-foot layer of soil. The penetration
of both fecal and non-fecal coliforms was only slightly greater.
Certainly, the data suggests that the tight clay-silt soil does
strongly filter out the indicator organisms.
Another point of interest is the apparent rapid rate of die-off of
organisms even at the surface as indicated in Table 5 of Appendic C.
Both circles A-10 and A-ll received the slurry applications on the same
day. Circle A-10 probably received an average of 137,000 coliforms and
70,000 fecal coliforms per square inch while circle A-ll received only
117,000 and 60,000, respectively. The extra day of elapsed time before
sampling for circle A-10, however, appears to account for a significant
reduction in all organisms at the surface. Several other observations
of die-off rate after summer applications of slurry indicated that less
than 10% of the organism survive for even as long as one day after
the application unless standing puddles are created.
CROP GROWTH RESPONSE AND NITRATE FEEDING EXPERIMENT
In considering the disposal of dairy manure on crop land, there are
many factors that should be considered. Th^ environmental impact on
air, ground water or surface water are important to all, including
the dairyman. In addition to these factors, the dairyman must also
consider the response of the crop--wnether it be pasture, harvested
forage, or grain — to the manure application. There is concern for
both quantity and quality of the crop or crops. He may have a
situation where he either wants the maximum crop yield from a limited
amount of manure or where he wants the maximum manure disposal per
unit area without unacceptably adverse crop response. High crop
yields hopefully would also give high nutrient extraction and thus
56
-------
leave fewer nutrients to be leached to ground water or flushed to
surface waters in the non-growth seasons.
One serious concern that has been expressed is that heavily fertilized
or manured land may yield back feed or forage that is toxic to live-
stock because of abnormally high nitrate-nitrogen concentrations.
Some have felt that this "nitrate-poisoning" can cause a decline in
milk production, loss of appetite, abortion, and generally poor health
in da i ry herds .
Construction of the main demonstration facilities at the Honor Farm
were not far enough advanced to allow controlled manure applications
for the 1968 growing season. As a prelude to full-scale investi-
gation of the impact of dairy cattle waste on forage production and
soil properties, variable commercial nitrogen treatments were
applied to test plots of silage corn. (See Figure 19). Corn was
grown at 20, 30, and kO thousand plants per acre. Nitrogen (N) rates
used were 50, 100, 200, and 400 pounds per acre with two levels of
phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilization. All N-P-K combinations
and population variables were established with zero and 3-ton lime
applications. The treatments were replicated four times.
Plant samples from the test plots and from the regularly grown silage
cornfields were taken at 2-week intervals commencing August 20 and
continuing until mid-October when the corn was harvested. Five sets
of values were obtained for each sampling period. The stalk was
divided at the ear position and samples taken as: I. lower stalk,
2. lower leaves, 3- upper stalk, A. upper leaves, and 5. whole plant.
The corn was in the early tassel stage at the time of the first
sampling and in the early dent stage when last sampled. All samples
were analyzed for nitrate-nitrogen concentrations.
The nitrate-nitrogen concentrations were low for all plant sections
with the 50 pound nitrogen treatment. Values were higher for the
intermediate rates and highest with the ^00 pound nitrogen treatment.
The lower stalk section of the 400 pound nitrogen treatment was the
only position to show nitrate-nitrogen values above the so-called
"critical" level of 0.2U by the time for normal harvest. Whole
plant values were only 0.10%. Higher population corn had higher
nitrate values than did low population corn.
Prior to the usual time for harvesting and storing corn silage,
however, samples of the immature corn from both test plots and reg-
ular corn fields showed very high nitrate-nitrogen concentrations.
Values as high as 0.59% (dry weight basis) nitrate-nitrogen
concentrations were found. This presented an opportunity to examine
the possible response of dairy cattle to suspected "nitrate-poisoning"
cond i t ions.
Three groups of dairy cows, one group of pregnant heifers, and a set
57
-------
Lime
OJ
o
o
00
\f
Lime
Grass
Grass
Grass
Alley
"" Alley
Alley
Lime
180 feet
Lime
180 feet
1968 Test Plot Layout
Only Commercial Fertilizer Was Applied
V
o
oo
\
Manure Circle E-0
200 N 100 N 400 N
100 N 200 N 50 N
50 N 400 N 50 N
1
. 400 N 200 N 100 N
J
180 feet^i^ 180 feet
1969 Test Plot Layout
Figure 13- Lay-Out of Test Plots for 1968 and 1969 Agrinomic Studies
58
-------
of steers were assigned to a feeding . tria1 to challenge them with
the high nitrate corn silage. Field conditions permitted the freshly
cut silage trial to continue for 32 days. Periodic sampling for
nitrates in the green-chopped silage throughout the trial indicated
that nitrate levels decreased as the corn matured. Milk production
was maintained at a high level throughout the 32-day period with a
minimum of fluctuation. No signs of stress were noted in any group
and the steers made normal weight gains. The group of heifers did
not exhibit any abnormalities during the trial during which two of
them calved normally. It was concluded that the levels of nitrate
fed were not high enough to reduce animal growth, lower milk pro-
duction, or influence reproduction.
Although nitrate-nitrogen concentrations did increase in the corn as
the amount of fertilizer nitrogen was increased, the levels achieved
did not remain above the "critical level" as the corn advanced toward
maturity. In terms of total nitrogen removal per acre by the crop,
the largest removal occurred with the ^tO thousand corn plants per
acre which had received ^00 pounds of nitrogen and the high phos-
phorus and potassium levels. The use of lime did not influence
nitrogen removal in this trial.
In 1969, a heavy manure application was made to circle E-0 in the test
plot area (circle E-0 in Figure 12 or on Table 1) as shown in the
lower diagram of Figure 19- The soil was moderately dry when the
1/6,000 gallons (5 inches) of slurry was applied on June 3, A, and 5-
The objective was to evaluate the application of heavy manure loading
on the previous year's non-tilled corn land and also on the ryegrass-
New Zealand white clover seeding present in the alleys. The undi-
gested, ligneous material in the manure load provided a sealing effect
and stopped infiltration so that excessive surface run-off became a
problem. There was no effective difference in infiltration between
the bare soil from the previous year's corn crop and the alleyways
with the grass-clover stand. Small depressions accumulated manure
slurry and became in effect "micro anaerobic lagoons." These small
ponds of manure encrusted at the surface and dried out very slowly.
In order to proceed with any test planting operation in 1969, it
became necessary to till through these manure ponds. A large tractor-
driven rotovator was used to mix the manure slurry with the soil.
During the mixing operation, dry soil particles would frequently be
thrown out, even though pond depth overhead may have been 8 to 10
inches.
The delay in planting caused by these problems made it doubtful that
corn could mature during the remainder of the season. Planting was
made anyway as there was some doubt that germinating plants would
survive the heavy manure load that had been applied. The total
application of manure slurry would be equivalent to about 150 tons
59
-------
per acre of fresh excrement. The even distribution achieved by the
manure gun was negated to some extent by the surface flow and ponding.
The crop of Idahybrid 216 silage corn germinated rapidly and grew well
throughout the remaining portion of the season. There were no skips
in rows due to poor germination or subsequent burning by excessive
salts. The half of the plot area not covered by manure received
commercial nitrogen rotovated into the soil at rates as indicated in
Figure 19. Corn growth was much faster and the total obtained was
substantially greater with manure than with 400 pounds per acre of
nitrogen. Phosphorus and potassium were applied in ample amounts to
remove them as variables. Quality of the feed as measured by nitrate-
nitrogen concentration was satisfactory, and was not substantially
different than that experienced with 200 and 400 pound applications
of commercial nitrogen. It is assumed that the "available" nitrogen
rate as applied by manure was about 400 pounds per acre. The rate of
nitrogen transformation from organic and ammonia forms to nitrate is
not known, however, and the actual amount could have been more or
less than the 400 pounds assumed. No yield differences were obtained
with commercial nitrogen rates above 100 pounds.
The fiber content in the manure created problems when applied to grass-
legume forages. It formed a coating over the foliage and effectively
stifled growth. The heavier applications selectively removed clover
and broad-leaved weeds from the stand. Ryegrass, with its narrow
leaves and upright growth habits, performed well under heavy loading.
The upper limit that can be applied to established forage stands
including clover appears to be about 25,000 gallons per acre, or just
under one acre-inch. This is best applied to stubble soon after
harvest.
Crop production experience in 1970 was similar to that of 1969- Corn
fertilized with manure produced one-third more silage corn and matured
2 weeks earlier than did corn grown with commercial fertilizer. No
stand loss was experienced from the heavy loadings which were roto-
vated into the soil ahead of planting.
Figure 20 shows a typical corn stalk from the manured circle on the
left side and one from the commercially fertilized test plot on the
right. In Figure 21, the larger ears show f-.e earlier maturity
achieved on the manured plot as compared to the small slow maturing
ears from the commercial fertilizer pints.
60
-------
Figure 20. Comparison of Whole Corn Stalks.
Left=Manured Test Plots, Right=Commercial Fertilizer
Figure 21. Maturity Comparison. Large Ears from Manured Test
'lots, Small Ears from Commercial Fertilizer Plots
6'
-------
SECTION VI
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The cooperation and participation of the Farm Industries section of
the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
(formerly in the Washington State Department of Institutions) in
establishing, supporting and conducting this Project has been sin-
cerely appreciated. Mr. Howard Magnuson, Mr. Richard Englund, and
Mr. Harry Ingersol have contributed much time, talent, and patience
to the Project Director during and following the conduct of the
Project. The efforts of Mr. Ross Smith of Farm Industries to accom-
plish construction progress under conditions of bad weather, labor
and materials shortages, and repeated changes in plans is also
gratefully acknowledged.
The tireless efforts of Mr. James Hudson and Mr. Koorosh (Danny)
Fouladpour, while acting as Resident Project Engineer, is acknowledged
with this writer's sincere thanks. Thanks also go to Mr. Sid French
for his conduct of mastitis tests at milking time whether that time
be morning, noon or night and for his willingness to tackle any other
task requested. Special gratitude is extended to Marge, Sharon and
Kay, respective wives of these men, for their tolerance and under-
standing.
Mr. August Mueller of the Washington State University Albrook Hydrau-
lics "Laboratory devised the pilot models and conducted the tests for
the hydraulic "brooms" as reported here. What he can't build from
the junk yard probably isn't needed anyway.
Dr. Grady Williams, Extension Dairy Specialist, and Mr. Darrel1 Turner,
Extension Soil. Scientist, (both with the Western Washington Research
and Extension Center at Puyallup) provided leadership and much effort
for the high nitrate forage feeding experiment reported here. Mr.
Turner planned and supervised the agronomic test plot studies. Both
men contributed guidance and advice relative to their areas of exper-
tise throughout the life of the Project and during preparation of this
manuscript.
The monitoring of water quality in the perimeter stream and the
sampling and analysis of soil surfaces and profiles for chemical and
bacteriological penetration was conducted by Dr. William Funk and
Dr. Donald Johnstone. Their assistance in developing this manuscript
is also deeply appreciated.
The cooperation and patience of Dr. Surinder Bhagat, Head of the
Sanitary Engineering Section, and of Professor Leon Luck, Chairman
of the Department of Civil Engineering, during this long and late
period of manuscript preparation is sincerely appreciated. The skill
Preceding page blank
63
-------
and dedication of Miss Susan Taylor, who typed this manuscript, merits
this writer's sincerest thanks.
The significant financial support of this Demonstration Project ini-
tially provided by the Office of Solid Wastes, Public Health Service,
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and by successor Federal
Agencies is hereby gratefully acknowledged by the writer on behalf ot
Washington State University.
6*4
-------
SECTION VII
LIST OF PATENTS AND PUBLICATIONS
PATENTS
No patents resulted from this Demonstration Project.
PUBLICATIONS
Proctor, Donald E., "The Management and Disposal of Dairy Manure,"
Proceedings of the 23rd Purdue Industrial Waste Conference, Lafayette,
Indiana, May 1968.
Turner, D. 0., and Proctor, D. E., "A Farm Scale Dairy Waste Disposal
System," Presented at the 1st International Livestock Waste Symposium,
Ohio State University, April 1971-
Turner, Darrell 0., and Williams, Grady F., "Nitrates in Feed: How
Much is Too Much?" Crops and Soils Magazine, 1970.
Turner, Darrell 0., "Disposing of Animal Wastes," Crops and Soils
Magazine, February-March, 1971•
Mueller, August C., "An Investigation to Develop Dairy Manure Flushing
Methods," A Special Problem Report to the Faculty of Civil Engineering,
Washington State University, May 1968. (Available from the Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University,
Pullman, Washington 99163.)
65
-------
SECTION VIM
APPENDICES
Page No,
A. Weather Data
A-1. Summary of Recent Rainfall and Temperature
Data in the Project Vicinity 68
A-2. Thirty-Year Summary of Means and Extremes
of Rainfall and Temperature Data in the
Project Vicinity (1931-1960) 70
A-3. Spot Observations of Temperatures and
Humidity-Effects of Totally Roofed Con-
finement Area 71
B. A Report on the Post-Experimental Operations 72
C. Soil and Water Quality Data
C-l. Soil Profile Sieve Analysis Results 71*
C-2. Bacteriological Profile of the Stream Which
Drains the Monroe Dairy Farm 75
C-3. Water Quality Chemical Data for Stream
Draining State Farm 77
C-k. Algae Composition of Stream Draining State
Farm 82
C-5. Vertical Distribution of Intestinal Bacteria
in Soil Collected from Test Holes after
Application of Manure Slurry to Test Plots .... 83
C-6. Concentration of Chloride in Soil Taken from
Test Holes Prior to and After Application of
Manure Slurry to Test Plots. Concentration
of Chloride is Expressed in mg/kg of Dry Soil. . . 8*4
D. Planning and Implementation of Required Facilities
and Equipment 85
E. Construct ion--Progress and Problems MO
Preceding page blank
-------
Table A-l
Summary of Recent Rainfall ami Temperature Data in the Project Vicinity*
Rar.gc 0.01/0.05
Vo./Vr.
9/66 4
10/C-6 5
11 '65 5
i:/55 4
1/07 1
*V 0 7 2
•.'67 8
4/67 4
5/67 3
6/b7 2
7/67 1
S/67 1
S/67 3
lo/r,; 5
11/07 9
1C/67 4
Yr. Total 43
1/C-S 9 '
2/C'3 2
" ft* "
4/68 4
3/68 5
6,'OS 4
7/oS 1
S/68 5
9/tS 5
10/f.S 7
11/68 5
12/68 2
Nur.bcr
0.05/0
1
7
9
7
10
9
5
12
3
2
7
-
5
8
6
]"
'u
7
4
9
6
4
1
4
4
9
10
5
of Days of
25 0.25/0.
1
1
4
11
10
2
4
1
2
1
-
-
1
6
4
4
35
3
6
3
.
1
2
1
4
6
4
7
• - - - Marc
Rainfall Within Indicated
50 0.50/0
2
3
2
3
4
1
2
-
-
1
-
-
1
5
1
2
17
2
1
_. - .
75 0.75/1.00
.
-
1
1
-•-
1
1
1
-
. .
-
.
-
1
.
1
5
1
.
Range
1.00/1
i
2
-
-
1
.
-
-
.
.
.
-
1
.
.
2
1
.
(inches)
.25 1.25/1.50
.
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
.
-
. -
-
-
.
-
1
1
.
3 : -
1
1
1
-
.
3
1
4
Ji Data not
1
.
.
3
-
-
1
4
»-._ • i _t,T ..,
.
1
.
1
.
-
.
1
.
.
.
.
.
.
2
-
Total
Over Month
1.50 (in.)
1.83
4.13
7.20
1 9.31
1 10.78
4.06
4.06
3.19
1.26
1.09
0.27
0.02
1.63
8.44
3.10
2 9.03
3 46.93
6.95.
3.46
3.82
2.22
1 4.35
1.46
4.78
1 3.97
1 . 6.77
7.00
1 ' 11.44
&1 QA
Temperature Range
Maximum
82
80
64
55
57
60
57
66
82
90
87
91
91
73
62
54
58
74
76
78
82
89
89
81
76
60
51
Average
Maximm
71.9
61.3
51.1
47.8
4b.9
50.2
50.4
56.0
65.1
75.5
77.6
S3. 6
76.3
61.3
52.8
44.2
45.2
55.9
- - - T>a
Degree
Davs
(Base = 6SeF)
111
393
605
652
714
607
691
555
303
69
41
13
82
352
5S8
791
779
580
#•«! MM* Aira4 1 -iV
57. 6 511
66.3
69.6
78.9
73.2
68.4
59.1
51.2
40.3
296
170
35
98
183
454
618
943
Data
Average
Mininum Minimum '
41 50.4
32 42. S
26 33.1
29 39.6
20 ->o . S
25 43.1
24 34.6
29 35.5
33 44.9
44 5J.8
44 50.5
43 51.6
40 J9. 2
34 45.4
25 37.4
19 34.3
19 53.9
22 33.6
IP -------
27 37.9
34 44.1
41 48.7
47 51.7
45 51.6
40 49.2
32 41.3
27 37.1
1 28.4
00
-------
Table A-l (Cent.)
Summary of Recent Rainfall and Temperature Data in the Project Vicinity*
R.inge 0.01/0.05
Mo./Yr.
1/09 1
2/C-9 6
3,'u9 4
4/09 ' 6
S/bi) 2
6/o9 4
7/69 4
3/6-.' 5
9/1-9 4
10/oJ 3
n/yj 9
K.'v.i 6
Yr. Total 56
1/7C> 3
2/70 3
3/7J 10
4/70 6
5/73 4
0/70 3
7/7J 1
S/7J 1
9/70 2
Nuricr of
0.05/0.25
15
5
6
9
2
2
3
3
7
4
5
7
68
5
4
6
11
6
4
-
1
5
Days of
0.25/0.
6
3
.
2
2
2
1
-
1
3
2
3
25
4
1
3
2
1
-
1
1
2
Rainfall Within
50 0.50/0.75 0
3
-
1
3
1
-
.
-
4
1
1
3
17
5
1
1
1
1
-
1
.
3
Indicated Range
""
.75/1.00 1.00/1
-
1
1
-
1
1
.
-
1 2
1
.
2 2
7 5
3
1
1
1
.
-
1
.
-
(inches)
.25 1.25/1. SO
-
-
-
,
-
-
.
.
-
.
.
.
0
1
.
.
-
.
-
.
.
-
Total
fnr
Over Month
1.50 (in.)
6.48
1 4.08
2.64
4.08
2.61
2.19
0.79
0.39
- ' 6.82
2.98
1 4.00
7.70
2 44.76
8.67
2.23
3.84
4.13
1.86
0.64
1.78
O.S7
3.55
Temperature Range
Maximim
54
56
70
74
92
90
85
83
SO
77
65
57
.
58
69
64
65
82
93
89
85-
83
Average
Maximum
36.6
43.0
56.6
5S.8
70.2
75.4
75.9
72.8
63.2
61.3
51.6
47.7
.
45.3
54.7
55.2
55.3
64.9
73.7
76.5
75.4
66.7
Degree
Days
(Base = 6S°F)
1,041
712
602
479
248
71
S3
128
187
452
606
714
-
793
558
612
545
3SO
141
85
82
268
Data
Mini nun
7
19
25
30
34
45
43
40
35
25
21
25
.
20
26
23
28
35
40
43
42
30
Average
Minimum
25.6
30.8
34.1
3S.3
44.5
S3. 5
49.4
48.9
49.1
40.4
37.6
35.6
.
33.2
35.0
34.9
37.9
42.0
48.2
49.5
49."
44.8
ON
•This data derived from Climatological Data, U.S. Department of Commerce, for the Washington
State Reformatory Station near Monroe, Washington. This station is approximately 3 miles
north of the Project site and 90 feet higher in elevation. Rainfall at the Project site is
prcaaoiy. sugntly higher than at this weather station. Also, the extreme maxinum (and
.TanL..:*?.) temperatures at the Project site may usually be expected to be as much as S°F
higher (and 5°F lower) than at this weather station.
-------
Table A-2
Thirty-Year Summary of Means and Extremes of Rainfall
and Temperature Data in the Project Vicinity*
(1931-1960)
Month
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sent.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Precipitation
(inches)
Monthly
Means
6.03
5.01
4.59
3.21
3.01
2.53
1.04
1.34
2.49
4.65
6.32
6.54
Maximum
Days
2.02
2.45
1.48
1.23
1.72
2.10
1.62
1.70
2.20
1.90
2.15
2.60
Temperatures (°F)
Extremes
Record
High
72
73
77
85
92
96
99
101
94
84
72
66
Record
Low
-3
-2
13
24
29
34
33
39
31
23
5
10
Means
Daily
High
44.0
48.2
53.2
60.9
67.2
71.3
76.7
75.8
70.3
60.9
51.1
46.3
Daily
Low
31.9
33.6
36.1
39.8
44.5
49.1
51.5
51.5
48.2
43.4
37.4
35.0
Daily
Mean
38.0
40.9
44.7
50.3
55.9
60.2
64.1
63.6
59.2
52.2
44.2
40.7
Degree
Days
(Base = 65°F)
843
678
632
444
295
159
74
71
186
387
642
763
Maximum Annual Rainfall = 62.07 inches (1950)
Minimum Annual Rainfall = 25.71 inches (1952)
*This data derived from Climatological Data, U.S. Department of Commerce,
for the Washington State Reformatory Station near Monroe, Washington.
This station is approximately 3 miles north of the Project site and 90
feet higher in elevation. Rainfall at the Project site is probably
slightly higher than at this weather station. Also, the extreme maximum
(and minimum) temperatures at the Project site may usually be expected
to be as much as 5°F higher (and 5°F lower) than at this weather station.
70
-------
Table A-3
Spot Observations of Temperatures ami Humidity
liffccts of Totally Roofed Confinement Area
Time of
Observation
Dates A=AM, IJ=|1M
7/11/68
7/12/68
7/15/6S
7/16/68
7/17/68
7/18/68
7/24/68
7/25/68
7/26/68
7/29/68
7/30/68
8/1/68
8/2/68
8/5/68
8/6/68
8/8/68
8/13/68
10/2/68
10/3/68
10/4/68
10/7/68
10/8/68
10/9/68
10/10/68
10/14/68
10/15/68
10/16/68
10/17/68
10/13/68
10/21/68
10/22/68
10/23/68
10/25/68
10/28/68
10/29/68
11/4/68
11/6/68
11/7/68
11/8/68
11/12/68
11/14/68
11/15/68
11/1S/6S
11/19/68
11/20/68
11/21/68
11/22/68
11/25/68
11/26/68
11/27/68
12/2/6S
12/4/6S
12/5/68
1 2/6/68
12/21/68
1/2/69
1/3/69
l/f>/69
1/-J/69
1/10/69
1/13/69
1/14/69
l/lb/69
1/23/69
9 A
10 A
10 A
1 P
10 A
10 A
10 A
4 P
1 P
10 A
2 P
4 P
2 P
3 P
2 P
4 P
2 P
8 A
9 A
9 A
8 A
8 A
8 A
9 A
9 A
9 A
9 A
9 A
9 A
8 A
8 A
10 A
8 A
8 A
9 A
9 A
8 A
8 A
2 P
8 A
10 A
10 A
9 A
9 A
9 A
8 A
S A
8 A
8 A
9 A
9 A
S A
S A
S A
6 A
9 A
8 A
8 A
8 A
9 A
8 A
9 A
9 A
Weather
Temperatures (°F)
Insiile
New
Barn
Fog 64
Rain 59
Cloudy 60
Sunny 69
Sunny 60
65
Fog 71
Sunny 74
72
Sunny 73
Sunny 74
Sunny 80
Sunny 70
Cloudy 64
Sunny 67
Sunny 70
Cloudy 62
Fog 43
Fog 48
Rain 54
Cloudy 50
Fog 39
Cloudy 44
Rain 48
Cloudy 48
Rain 52
Cloudy 44
Cloudy 43
Fog 43
Fog 43
Fog 55
Rain 55
Rain 59
Cloudy 55
Rain 54
Fog 37
Fog 36
52
Rain 52
Cloudy 54
50
Rain 43
Rain 52
Cloudy 54
57
Rain 48
Rain 50
Rain 48
Cloudy 46
• Rain 52
Rain 41
Fog 39
Cloudv 39
Clear 32
Fog 27
Cloudy 36
Rain 39
Rain 43
Rain 41
Rain 37
Snow 37
Snow 36
Cloudy 36
Cloudy 19
^All spot observations on ti'mpcr.'iture
four
(1)
Inside
Old
Bam Outside
43
50
54
SO
41
44
50
44
52
43
48
44
43
54
57
59
54
55
37
36
48
50
57
46
41
50
52
57
48
50
52
48
52
41
37
41
34
27
38
39
43
41
39
39
36
37
21
and humid i
67
54
64
72
60
63
64
74
74
72
78
86
76
60
74
78
66
44
52
52
54
37
41
48
44
48
41
46
41
41
48
55
57
54
52
34
32
48
48
50
43
39
48
50
54
44
48
46
46
50
41
36
39
30
25
37
37
41
39
37
36
34
36
17
Relative „..
Humidity (\)
Inside
New
Barn Outside
69
80
74
'59
66
76
76
74
61
60
56
48
63
70
50
53
69
90
96
88
70
94
86
96
88
86
80
96
88
94
88
90
82
90
94
94
80
88
82
94
84
88
94
76
80
86
94
86
80
88
94
78
92
94
52
94
86
86
94
86
82
ty were obtained
70
90
70
59
60
76
62
34
42
S6
49
39
31
66
42
54
58
94
94
90
76
96
94
96
78
94
94
96
96
96
88
90
82
92
98
98
80
88
76
88
86
88
88
82
80
88
94
80
76
94
100
72
92
94
92
100
100
92
94
92
86
Approx.
Number
of
Cows
60
60
60
60
60
60
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
i An
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
160
at approximately
feet above ground level.
-------
APPENDIX B
A REPORT ON THE
POST-EXPERIMENTAL OPERATIONS
DAIRY MANURE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
MONROE STATE DAIRY FARM
Introduction
This report is being written approximately one year after the completion
of experimentation and data collection on the Manure Management System.
During this year the final system configuration has been in '^'normal
operation," under the management of the regular Farm Industries staff.
This report is intended to record the significant operating experi-
ences related to the Manure Management System.
I . Cattle Confinement Facility
The physical arrangement of the redesigned pens, e.g. Pen C,
proved to be much better than the earlier design, e.g. Pen B.
Rather than scraping the manure the full length of the pen, it was
merely necessary to windrow it over to the longitudinal gutter.
The flushing arrangement in Pen C was moderately effective in
cleaning the pen floor. It was naturally most effective at the
location of the spray impingement on the floor, however, it also
carries most surface materials into the longitudinal gutter, and
down the gutter to the sump.
The total hydraulic system has functioned satisfactorily, although
the wood shavings used as bedding can be a cause of plugging the
pump. As a result, the level of the shavings was reduced to min-
imize mixing them with the manure.
The concrete block half-walls used in the stall and service alley
areas have not proved to be entirely satisfactory. Both equipment
and cows have caused cracking of the mortar and damage to the walls.
A solid poured, filled block or pipe dividers are suggested as
superior considerations.
An exterior wall (corrugated sheet^ was constructed on the south side
of the confinement facility. That is the direction of the prevail-
ing winds. This wall greatly reduced drafts in the barn, and is
felt to be responsible for the appreciable reduction of disease in
the herd.
I|. Central Slurry Tank and Chopper Pump
The slurry tank is a system component which was fundamental to the
72
-------
II
demonstration and experimental phase of the Project, but is not a
necessary component of the operating system. It is used as a part
of the operating system, however, since the high pressure chopper
pump is installed in conjunction with it, its primary advantage now
fiefds a9ltat'°n Performeci on the slurry which is pumped to the
The subsystem associated with the central slurry tank has functioned
satisracton I y.
Aerobic Treatment Facility
The subsystem which comprises the aerobic treatment facility is
not used in the normal operations. The one exception is the use of
the erl-luent storage lagoon as a water storage lagoon for water which
Mushes the field distribution system.
I V- Manure Storage Lagoons
Lagoon storage of the manure slurry has proved to be entirely satis-
factory The surface layer of solids, or crust, effectively min-
im,zes the problems of odors and flies. There has been no apparent
leakage from the lagoon. HI^ICMI
The one recommendation related to the lagoon design is in regard to
agitation. The installed design does not afford complete agitation
throughout the lagoon since the agitation jets cannot be directed
toward the area beneath the pier.
During the past year, a heavy crust, approximately three feet thick
formed on the top of the lagoon. This problem, however, was not due
to a design deficiency in the lagoon. It was due to a failure to
suffic.ently agitate the slurry and was complicated by the damaging
of the discharge pipe. This heavy crust was removed by mechanical
means. A repeat of such a crust formation is not expected.
v- Field Distribution
The field distribution or irrigation system has proved to be reliable
and entirely satisfactory. The most important caution, as is the
case in the total manure handling system, is to thoroughly flush the
system to prevent a build-up of solids which might plug a line.
NOTE: This report (Appendix B) was provided by Mr. Richard Englund
and Mr. Harry Ingersol of the Washington State Department of
Social and Health Services.
73
-------
Table C-l
Soil Profile Sieve Analysis Results
(Values are percentage by weight passing the designated sieves)
Hole
Locat ion
(Field Circle)
A-8
A-9
A-10
A-l 1
A-12
Depth
(Ft.)
0
1
2
3
0
1
2
3
0
1
2
3
0
1
2
3
0
1
2
3
# 200
0.075 mm
98.2
3k. i*
92.1
7-6
98.7
99.3
68.2
78.8
92.9
98.3
97-3
8.0
98.0
97-0
99.0
k.\
96.0
98.7
98.9
86.2
# 100
0.15 mm
100
100
99.5
29.5
98.8
100
88.6
96.9
95.8
100
98. k
18. A
100
100
100
11 .5
97-2
100
100
95.1
.# 50
0.30 mm
100
100
100
73-9
99-0
100
98.2
99-7
98.5
100
99-8
k7 .0
100
100
100
**7.9
?
100
100
97-9
# 30
0.60 mm
100
100
100
96.6
99-3
100
99.8
99.9
99-6
100
100
89.1
100
100
100
79-7
99- ^
100
100
100
# 10
1 .50 mm
100
100
100
99.97
99.8
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
99-5
99-6
100
100
100
-------
TABLE C-2
BACTERIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF THE STREAM WHICH DRAINS THE MONROE DAIRY FARM
Sampling Period fron October 1967 to May 1970
STA-ION 10-18(191-67 12-8-67 1-19-68 2-9-68 3-21-68 3-29-68
-------
TABLE C-2 (Cont.)
STATION 1-20-70 1-27-70 2-3-70 2-10-70 2-13-70 4-2-70 fc-7-70
-------
TABLE C-3
Water Quality Chemical Data for Stream Draining State Farm
(1967-68-69)
Ong/1)
October 18-19, 1967
Inlet 0.05
South Boundary 0.07
Outlet to River 0.09
River above Outlet 0.02
December 8, 1967
Inlet 0.15
South Boundary 0.72
Outlet to River 0.75
River above Outlet 0.70
January 19, 1968
Inlet 0.21
South Boundary 0.35
Outlet to River 0.14
River above Outlet 0.15
February 9, 1968
Inlet 0.19
South Boundary 0.26
Outlet to River 0.28
River above Outlet 0.11
NH, -N
Tr
0.0
Tr
Tr
Tr
Tr
Organic
"N
1.40
2.24
1.56
0.84
™4
'•f
0.555
0.255
0.235
0.100
0.145
0.090
0.138
0.175
0.180
0.90
0.150
0.07
0.17
0.118
0.125
0.0
Total
P0/t
0.95
0.98
0.90
0.20
1.24
1.46
1.46
1.01
0.95
0.91
1.10
0.50
5^
*-f
13.0
13.0
14.5
5.0
8.9
9.5
10.5
5.5
10.0
11.0
14.0
6.2
14.0
16.4
18.2
5.8
Cl
3.5
3.5
4.1
5.41
2.25
4.50
5.86
COD
18.0
13.0
7.0
4.0
21.19
18.4
21.7
10.85
32.0
36.0
38.0
11.8
32.0
24.2
8.4
8.9
£H
6.62
6.67
6.53
7.07
6.5
6.8
7.0
7.2
6.6
5.8
6.0
7.1
Cond
36
36
89
123
36
Note: Column headings explained on page 132.
-------
oo
NH., -N
March 21, 1968
Inlet
South Boundary
Outlet to River
River above Outlet
March 29, 1968
Inlet
South Boundary
Outlet to River
River above Outlet
April 18, 1968
Inlet
South Boundary
Outlet to River
River above Outlet
May 1, 1968
Inlet
South Boundary
Outlet to River
River above Outlet
June 11, 1968
Inlet
South Boundary
Outlet to River
River above Outlet
0.50
0.40
0.16
0.08
0.21
0.34
0.14
0.14
0.32
0.30
0.055
0.04
0.026
0.093
0.150
0.008
0.09
0.1
0.075
0.05
Tr
Tr
Tr
Tr
0.01
Organic
N
1.54
1.40
0.98
0.21
TABLE C-3 Cont.
Total
1'0 PO SO,,
Cl
COD
EM
Cond DO
0.07
0.01
0.09
0.06
0.017
0.033
0.025
0.039
0.01
0.01
0.02
0.01
0.005
0.011
0.013
0.010
0.009
0.015
0.021
0.008
1.
1.
0.
0.
0.
1.
0.
0.
0.
0.
1.
0.
1.
1.
_n
2
3
93
35
94
10
35
1
85
96
38
65
2
32
i
10.
6.
12.
6.
10.
13.
13.
6.
5.
6.
16.
8.
'4
2
4
0
0
0
0
0
8
0
4
2
0
0.98
0.
,11
43.0
14.0
14.0
9.
2.
3.
0.
2.
4.
6.
1.
2.
4.
5.
2.
5
5
25
5
25
0
0
0
6
8
2
3
6.
28.
19.
24.
7.
32.
17.
22.
11.
22.
7.
20.
3.
6
0
0
0
0
0
0
9
0
6
4
0
4
27.0
12.0
18.0
7.0
6.
6.
6.
7.
6.
6.
6.
7.
7.
6.
6.
7.
7.
7.
7.
7.
15
7
8
0
5
4
6
2
3
8
7
1
4
4
1
0
58
110
95
<50
82
96
117
<50
97
115
6.7
6.9
7,
7,
.1
.2
8.2
8.1
8.2
9.0
Tcr.ip
°C
11
12
12
9
14
14
15.5
11
15
17.5
18
14.6
-------
July 6, 1968
Inlet 0.038
South Boundary 0.035
Outlet to River 0.082
River above Outlet 0.01
August 16, 1968
Inlet
South Boundary
Outlet to River
River above Outlet
August 25, 1968
Inlet 0.06
South Boundary 0.03
Outlet to River 0.065
River above Outlet 0.01
September 16, 1968
Inlet 0.09
South Boundary 0.10
Outlet to River 0.05
River above Outlet 0.01
November 27, 1968
Inlet 0.175
South Boundary 0.062
Outlet to River 0.244
River above Outlet 0.032
Tr
Organic
N
1.96
1.77
1.98
1.11
TABLE C-3 Cont.
Total
PO, PO, SO
1-
0.006 0.144
0.008 0.180
0.012 0.360
0.005 0.084
0.11
0.21
0.06
0.004
Tr
Tr
0.8
0.30
0.34
ND
0.12
0.04
0.132
0.06
0.15
0.18
0.21
0.20
0.65 0.006 0.052
0.56 0.012 0.088
0.37 0.019 0.100
0.19 0.021 0.188
0.08
0.003
0.005
2.88 0.19 0.54
1.19 0.14 0.71
0.92 0.12 0.825
0.32 0.06 0.11
Cl
COD
pH
Cond DO
Tenip
°C
3.
6.
6.
2.
4.
3.
3.
2.
4.
2.
2.
1.
3.
2.
2.
1.
5
5
8
21
2
8
2
0
0
0
5
5
1
4
6
5
18
10
12
5
37
19
15
14
34
19
23
2
26
21
25
5
19
21
34
28
.0
.0
.0
.0
.7
.0
.0
.0
.0
.0
.0
.2
.0
.0
.0
.0
.2
.0
.0
.8
7.
6.
7.
7.
6.
7.
7.
6.
6.
7.
7.
7.
6.
7.
7.
6.
6.
6.
6.
6.
75
9
2-
25
2
48
60
75
6
4
5
5
1
3
0
9
85
6
5
9
75
<50
150
120
110
62
145
120
110
60
132
106
140
71
150
150
130
125
9.
10.
8.
9.
8.
8.
9.
10.
10.
8.
10.
0
0
0
2
4
6
8
0
0
0
0
22
22
24
18
21
22
22
20
19
19
19
17
12
12.
13.
10.
8
8
8.
7.
4
1
9
75
0
-------
OO
o
February 21, 1969
Inlet
South Boundary
Outlet to River
River above Outlet
April 28, 1969
Inlet
South Boundary
Outlet to River
River above Outlet
May 8, 1969
Inlet
South Boundary
Outlet to River
River above Outlet
June 9, 1969
Inlet
South Boundary
Outlet to River
River above Outlet
June 25, 1969
Inlet
South Boundary
Outlet to River
River above Outlet
NO,-N
0.61
0.74
0.97
0.21
0.084
0.07
0.08
0.04
0.45
0.11
0.10
0.09
0.15
0.08
0.06
0.09
0.24
0.12
0.11
0.08
NI-L-N
TABLE C-3 Cent.
Organic
FO,
Cl COD
Tr
Tr
Tr
Tr
Tr
Tr
Tr
1.93
0.84
0.54
0.1S
0.20
0.14
1.61
0.22
0.41
0.14
1.42
0.80
0.74
0.91
0.24
0.20
0.14
4
0.54 0.8
0.38 1.13
0.42 1.6
0.01 1.33
0.09 1.65
0.085 1.13
0.08 2.0
0.03 1.33
0.15
0.09
0.09
0.04
0.10
0.04
0.035
0.02
0.13
0.09
0.09
0.09
28.4
22.0
18.2
5.6
13.4
12.0
14.0
4.0
21.0
14.0
14.0
6.0
14.0
10.0
12.0
5.2
26.0
16.0
18.0
6.0
pH
6.6
6.8
6.8
6.9
Cond
120
IX)
8.0
10.0
10.0
10.0
9.6
10.0
10.0
10.0
10.0
9.9
9.4
9.2
9.9
9.5
8.5
9.9
8.75
8.8
8.3
9.0
Temp
°C
8
8
8
8
10
11
11
11.2
11.2
11
14
15
14
14
11.5
12
13
11
-------
TABLE C-3 Cont.
NO,-N Nl-l^-N
0.06
0.04
0.05
0.09
Organic
N
0.57
0.18
0.18
0.11
111}
0.07
<0.01
<0.01
<0.01
Cl COD pi I Cond DO
12.0
9.8
7.0
9.25
9.61
8.5
9.0
Temp
UC
11
12
12
11
oo
July 23, 1969
Inlet
South Boundary
Outlet to River
River above Outlet
NO-^-N is Nitrate Nitrogen
NH.-N is Ammonia Nitrogen
Organic N is Organic Nitrogen
PO, is Orthophosphate
Total P04 is Total Phosphate
S04 is Dissolved Sulfates
Cl is Cloride Ion
COD is Chemical Oxygen Demand
pH is a Measure of Hydrogen Ion Activity in Standard pH Units
Cond is Specific Conductivity
DO is Dissolved Oxygen
Temp °C is Temperature on the Centigrade Scale
-------
TABLE C-k
e«/Bil
Splrullni IP.
Atubaeiu ip.
62 ZO 16 9*
291 U28 no 1
224 1JO 60
B
Z
b 70
,2
South Fan Boundary
400 229 IB
Snoqu«l«n« live
2 t 26
I I U
200 12 »
2 )b 10 10 I 1
12 *
41 11 2
S 8 6
1 2
18 « 12 6
18 10 12
) 10 11
-------
CO -g
Table C-5
Vcrtic.-il Distribution of Intestinal Bacteria in Soil Collected
from Test Holes ,iftcr Application of Manure Slurry to Test Plots
Test Hole Number Test llole Number
Feet A8-1 AS-2 A8-3 A9-1 A9-2 A9-3 A10-1 A10-2 A10-3 AI1-1 All-2 All-3 Feet
E% 0.0 1,100,000 1,000,000 240,000 240,000 -- 240,000 24,000 >l. 100,000 210,000 1,100,000 460,000 1,100,000 0.0
£4 0.5 -110,000 23t> 24,000 >110,000 -- 24,000 4,600 24,000 >110,000 9,300 110,000 700 0 5
r= 1-0 43 >1,100 >1,000 >1,100 -- >1,100 <3 <3 >1,100 <3 <3 4 1.0
-5 i 2.0 7 7 7 >1,100 --4 <3 4 >1,100 4 <3 <5 2.0
_o 3-° 1,100 <3 <3 11 3.0
0.0 1,100,000 1,100,000 240,000 240,000 -- 240,000 24,000 >1.100,000 221,000 1,100 000 460 000 1 100 000 0 0
0.5 >110,000 230 24,000 >110,000 -- 24,000 4,600 24,000 >110,000 9,300 930 <30 0.5
1.0 23 >1,100 >1,100 >1,100 -- >1.100 <3 <3 >1,100 <3 <3 O 1.0
2.0 <3 <3 <3 >1,100 --4 <3 4 >1,000 <3 <3 <3 2.0
3-° '3 1,100 <3 <3 <3 5.0
^ '•" 0-0 3,000,000 1,600,000 86,000 65,000 7,000 80,000 28,000 440,000 15,000 340,000 360,000 510,000 0.0
e.3 °-5 9,500 <100 1,100 9,800 900 10,000 4,900 <100 8,800 3,400 <100 <100 0.5
'i. 2 1-0 <100 2,000 9,000 1,700 5,600 6,300 <100 <100 900 <100 <100 <100 1.0
y, *° Z.O <100 <100 <100 10,600 <100 UOO <100 dOO 700 <100 ^100 -100 2.0
_3 3-° •ICO <100 <100 <100 <100 <100 <100 <100 300 <100 <100 <100 3.0
fl
.u £
MPN indicates most probably nunber of organisms.
-------
Table C-6
Concentration of chloride in soil taken from test holes prior to and after
application of manure slurry to test plots. Concentration of chloride is
expressed in mg/kg of dry soil.
Depth
Feet
0.0
0.5
1.0
2.0
3.0
0.0
0.5
1.0
2.0
3.0
Prior
A8
18.0
2.7
2.7
2.0
1.4
A10
78.0
7.9
3.5
7.3
4.1
A8-1
870.0
69.0
7.2
5.4
6.0
A10-1
340.0
19.0
20.0
14.0
8.2
— Alter
A8-2
290.0
21.0
60.0
3.3
8.6
A10-2
340.0
12.9
9.4
12.5
14.4
A8-3
570.0
19.0
58.0
23.0
12.3
A10-3
250.0
50.0
123.0
38.0
14.3
Prior
A9
37.0
2.6
15.8
8.8
8.3
All
5.0
3.3
3.4
5.2
1.9
A9-1
300.0
33.0
39.0
56.0
4.6
All-1
340.0
20.0
12.4
5.6
4.1
— nr LCI
A9-2
129.0
30.0
160.0
21.0
13.6
All -2
129.0
31.0
29.0
12.4
17.0
A9-3
360.0
78.0
49.0
20.0
11.5
All-3
670.0
7.7
5.2
3.8
12.9
-------
APPENDIX D
PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF REQUIRED FACILITIES
AND EQUIPMENT
CATTLE CONFINEMENT OR HOUSING PLANS
Tentative plans at the time of writing the Project grant application
called for developing new housing for 3^*8 cows. (See Figures 22 and 23)
The existing confinement facilities were to be retained and utilized so
that it would be possible to make comparisons between the new totally
covered cattle environment and the more typical environment of dairies
of the Northwest.
A new confinement area totaling about 65|000 square feet was to be com-
pletely roofed and paved but without enclosing walls. As initially
proposed, this area would be divided with about half of the area on
either side of an existing large baled hay storage barn (180 feet long
by 36 feet wide by about 30 feet high). Six separate pens for 59 cows
each was to have been provided. Each pen was to be 115 feet long by
6^t feet wide and contain mangers, watering troughs, bedded stalls, and
loafing area. Manure slurry collection channels would extend across
each pen and run to one of two slurry collection and pumping sumps.
The plan provided for further expansion at some future date which would
then place all cows in the new type of housing and utilize the new manure
hand 1i ng methods.
Several problems appeared as detailed plans were being developed. Inte-
grating low and flat pitched roof structures with the tall steep roofed
hay barn presented difficult, but not insurmountable, problems. There
would be significant conflicts, however, between the routing of cows to
and from the milking parlor, the movement of feed and forage wagons
through the pen service alleys, and the placement of trucks during stor-
age and removal of hay in the storage barn. Gravity flow in the manure
collection channels would have made it necessary to locate one sump
inside the hay barn and the other at the truck entryway to the barn.
This would also conflict with cattle and vehicle traffic flow.
The possibility of moving the hay barn was investigated and found to be
both feasible and reasonable in cost. The cost of moving the hay barn
appeared to be more than offset by savings associated with the simplified
new housing structure. By relocating the hay barn it was possible to
place fill material to elevate the floor level of the new housing facil-
ity. Fill depths of two to six feet set the floor elevation of the new
barn above any known previous flood elevations. The surcharge of fill
material also increased footing stability for the si1ty river bottom soil
A new layout for the cattle housing facility was developed. This layout
provided for six paved pens but now all under one continuous roof.
(See Figures 2*4 and 25). No side walls were needed. Each pen was to be
85
-------
CO
en
County Roads
Building
1. Custody Office 6 Dorms
2. Dining Hall and Kitchen
3. Recreation Hall
4. Equipment Repair Shop
5. Institutional Farm
Industries Office
6. Well House
7. Milk Processing
8. Milking Parlor
9. Milk Products Storage
Index Numbers
10. Maternity and Storage
Barn
11.
12.
13.
14.
15,
16.
19.
20.
Storage
Calf Parlor
Maternity Barn
Loading Chute
17, IS. Loafing Sheds
Hay Barn
Silage Bunker
Large Hay Barn
'2.
Figure 22. Initially Proposed New Cattle Housing
-------
\*-24-*& — +° — H'6 r— *> — ^^ w
1 ' L
\
11
.
1 \
\
4
x -*-
\L
\
-Lm >
TT
f
\
I
i
i
>
Maryt
1L
?rs
i
V
(1 1
' iGutfers or Cht
Pump bump-^y^ Existing Hay B
\
f
.
H
1 1
II
1
'
i
t
*
TT
(B
is
1C
vnne/s
am
\
_^
-------
00
00
Building Index
1. Custody Office fi Dorms
2. Dining flail and Kitchen
3. Recreation Hall
4. Equipment Repair Shop
5. Institutional Farm
Industries Office
6. Well House
7. Milk Processing
8. Milking Parlor
9. Milk Products Storage
Numbers
10. Maternity and Storage
11. Storage
12. Ctlf I'arlor
13. Maternity Biirn
14. LxDading Chute
15, 17, 18.' Loafing Sieds
16. Itiy Barn
19. Silage Hunker
20. Large Hay Uarn
County Roads
L.
B
/« I
r
/J
Figure 24. New Cattle Housing Location After Haybarn Relocation
-------
ft
CO
to
Roof
lioundary — ^
Perimeter Alley for Cattle Movement •
'
D
r
/
/
Feed 5 Service Alleys /
/
•
Me
E U
inure Pump Sumps —*
F
r
i
L
•("
^'
(f
i
1
c
..
/
f ^
]
—
—
M
angers -
_>"
B
*
*
Loose Stalls with Bedding —
• A
J
To Central Manure Slurry Tank
\
—<
•
/
_. . . _f_
•*.
<^
Figure 25. Pen Arrangement for New Cattle Housing Facility
-------
60 feet wide by 115 feet long providing 110 square feet of area for
each of 63 cows.
After space layout of the pens, mangers, cattle and vehicle service
alleys, and manure sumps was completed; three steel building erection
firms were each invited to propose a structure to cover the area. Jhey
were informed of the limitations on column location or more specifically
where columns could not be placed. Each was permitted to vary the_
spacing of columns, rafters, or purlins within limits in their individual
proposals and bids.
The submitted structural plans and accompanying bids of the two lowest
bidders were then reviewed by Sleavin-Kors (Project consultants) for
adequacy and structural safety. Both were approved and a contract was
completed with Parrott-Kauffman of Tacoma, Washington to erect the
65,000 square foot steel building for $82,890. This contract included
all framing, the roof itself, guttering and downspouts, and walls from
the roof downward to an elevation 14 feet above ground level but did
not include column footings or any interior facilities other than the
supporting columns.
With footing locations, elevations, and dimensions fixed by the building
plans and contract, interior facility designing could proceed to the
construction detail stage. It was decided that cattle should be placed
in each pen as soon as it was completed to allow a brief period of
observation. If any serious faults were noted, modifications could be
made in subsequent pens.
Concrete block walls were called for along the stall area side and cen-
tral service alley side of the pens. These walls varied from four to
five feet high. They served to break up wind patterns over the cattle
when lying in the stalls as well as to divide the whole area into
separate pens. Concrete mangers were designed along the side of lateral
service alleys to allow direct mechanical discharge of silage from forage
wagons. Baled or cubed hay could also be fed in the same mangers. Con-
crete curbs extended around each block of fourteen bedded stalls. ^The
stall areas were not paved but were partially filled with sandy soil
and dressed over with two to three inches of wood shavings.
A drinking water supply distribution system J PVC pipe was to be suspended
from the steel roof structure with gravity drop lines going to each of
three drinking cups in each pen An e'evated and float controlled
reserve tank was designed for the head of the waier distribution system.
This eliminated any possible cross connections between watering cups and
the farm water supply. This system was almost completely destroyed by
an extremely rapid and severe drop in temperature. Though there was no
known precedent for such severe weather, it was decided that the drinking
water supply had to be placed underground by extending it through^the
unpaved stall areas to avoid possible future destruction by freezing.
90
-------
The floor surface of all but the bedded stall areas was to be of non-
reinforced concrete poured directly on we 11-compacted fill gravel. The
floor surfaces were not to be in direct contact with the column footings.
The main open spaces of each pen were designed to slope 1/8 inch per
foot from the exterior ends of the pens toward the central service alley.
The surfaces were to be heavily broomed or roughened to prevent hoof
slippage and injury to the cattle. The short paved alleys between
blocks of stalls sloped 1A inch per foot toward the open ends of the
alleys.
Some changes in plans were made for subsequent pens after observing oper-
ations with cattle in the first completed pens. Most of such changes
were minor. One significant change made for pens C and D was a reduc-
tion in area. It appeared that 110 square foot of area per cow,
including the bedded stalls, was more area than necessary or desirable.
For pens C and D the width of the open loafing area was reduced from
30 to 22 feet so that only 95 square feet of total pen area was provided
for each of 63 cows.
It was necessary to provide for storm water disposal from the 65,000
square feet of new roofing. Concrete pipe was installed along both
282 foot long ends of the building to intercept the downspouts. These
pipes discharged into a new culvert which extended under the county road
just west of the building and discharged into an old slough.
MANURE FLUSHING AND COLLECTION
A principle objective of the Project was to develop and demonstrate a
system of manure collection, transport, storage, and field application
that was economically attractive and which offered little or no potential
for water pollution. Comparisons of operating costs and aesthetics were
to be made between the new manure management techniques and the more
conventional methods of scraping, loading, and hauling. For comparison
purposes, it was planned that the existing cattle housing facilities
would continue to be operated for one or two years as they had before
initiation of the project.
It was felt that handling manure by hydraulic methods and in slurry form
at all stages was the key to economic success. Some previous brief pilot
scale tests at Washington State University had indicated that manure and
urine from dairy cattle confinement areas could be removed and collected
in slurry form by hydraulic flushing. By using simple drilled-pipe
orifices at pressures around 200 psi, it had been possible to flush
small areas quite clean when a "hydraulic broom" traveled at speeds of
two feet per second. Water consumption rates of not more than 20 gallons
per cow per day seemed possible.
Two schemes of flushing manure from the confinement area of the new
cattle housing were planned. One scheme involved stationary pipes with
drilled orifices installed just above floor level around the perimeter
91
-------
of each pen. High pressure jets from the orifices would be directed
against the floor to flush away the manure accumulation once or twice
each day. The other scheme involved a high pressure spray header or
"hydraulic broom" mounted on a tank truck. This mobile "hydraulic broom
would proceed along the length of each pen flushing accumulated manure
ahead of it to a collection sump at the downstream end.
As detailed plans were being developed for the first cattle pens, provi-
sions were made for the stationary dri1led-orifice pipes at the bases
of the mangers and at the ends of the short alleys between bedded stalls.
Recessed slots were provided to house the pipes to prevent damage by
cows or equipment. Manually operated valves were located to allow all
or only portions of the stationary jet system to be operated as desired.
Couplings were located to allow tests with different orifice diameters
and spacings.
Initially the water supply for the stationary flushing system was to come
from the Farm water supply system with a temporary and removable connec-
tion to prevent cross connections and contamination. Ultimately it was
planned that treated anaerobic lagoon effluent could be pumped and used
for flushing if the flushing system proved to be effective. This would
not only reduce water consumption, but would also reduce the storage
vclume required in the deep anaerobic lagoons and reduce the volume of
slurry to be applied to fields later on.
Additional work was initiated to develop the mobile "hydraulic broom".
Special V-Jet nozzles were obtained which produced a fan shaped, high
velocity jet. A small, wheel mounted, hand propelled "hydraulic broom
model was built which allowed variations in nozzle spacing, nozzle
height, and angle of jet impact with the slab. For development test
purposes, the jets were powered by a stationary centrifugal pump con-
nected to the model by high pressure hose. With the nozzles set about
ten to twelve inches above the slab, spaced on twelve or fourteen mch
centers, inclined at about 20° from the slab, and operating at 200 ps.g;
the model broom seemed to operate quite satisfactorily. It was difficult
to overcome the jet reaction and to drag the supply hose but the device
did clean the manure laden slab quite thoroughly at travel speeds of up
to two feet per second.
It was then decided to proceed with the deve'opment of a full scale truck
mounted "hydraulic broom". A 550 gallon tank truck and a large, gasoline
engine powered, 2-stage centrifugal pump was purchased from a military
surplus equipment and supply depot Specifications accompanying the
pump-engine combination indicated that it should deliver A50 gallons per
minute at 290 psig.
The pump-engine was mounted above the 550 gallon tank on the truck. The
pump discharge was piped to a three valve manifold at the front of the
truck Three nozzle headers were fabricated. One 7-foot long header
was mounted across the front of the truck and an 11-foot long header was
92
-------
mounted to swivel down as an extended outrigger from either side of the
front of the truck. Each pipe and nozzle header was connected by high
pressure hose to the valve manifold. With the side booms extended, the
mobile "hydraulic broom" rig would cover a lateral span of thirty feet
or the width of the open area of the new cattle pens.
In spite of specifications, the pump-engine combination did not provide
sufficient flow or pressure. Even after shutting off the flow to both
side booms, the pressure in the remaining 7-foot header was only about
150 psig. At this pressure, the short "broom" would clean manure from
the slab but for only a distance of 20 to 30 feet. After that much
forward travel, the generated manure slurry would form a hydraulic ^jump
ahead of the jets but would not flow on down the slab. The "broom"
could loosen manure from the slab and generate a liquid slurry but the
slurry was too thick to flow away down the 1/8 inch per foot slope. A
positive displacement pump was substituted for the centrifugal pump to
obtain higher pressures at the jets. The results were essentially the
same. It had to be assumed that it was not possible to hydraulica1ly
flush manure for the full 115-foot length of a pen unless a much larger
volume of water was used. This would increase the resulting manure
slurry volume to the point that long term storage was impractical. The
goal of hydraulic flushing by mobile "hydraulic broom" had to be aban-
doned. There was an indication at least that if the broom was set at
an angle of about ^5° to the direction of travel, it might be possible
to flush the resulting slurry into a longitudinal gutter extending down
the length of the pens. Time did not permit exploration of this possi-
bi 1ity.
Three rectangular manure collection sumps were designed to be located
beneath the floor slab of the central service alley in the new barn.
(See locations on Figure 25). Each pair of pens opposite of each other
along the central alley would be serviced by a common collection sump.
The sumps were designed to have inside dimensions of 20 feet by 10 feet
by 7 feet effective liquid depth. Assuming 20 gallons of manure slurry
per cow per day and 126 cows in each pair of pens, each 10,^00 gallon
sump could handle about four days of manure production.
The 20-foot dimension of the sump was set perpendicular to the length of
the 12-foot wide alley so that the sumps would extend about three feet out-
ward under each pen floor. A 10-foot long by 8-inch wide slot through
the pen floors was located immediately beneath gates opening each pen
to the central service alley. Manure could then be flushed or scraped
towards the central alley to drop through the slots into the collection
sumps. Metal covers for the slots prevented injury to cows as they
went through these gates on their way to or from the milking parlor.
These covers were removed during pen clean-up operations which were sched-
uled while the cows were away for milking.
A 2-foot by A-foot covered hatch in each sump roof was located in the
center of the service alley and near one wall of each sump. This allowed
93
-------
for placement of a mobile chopper pump. A 2-foot by ^-foot by 1 1/2-foot
deep depression was cast in each sump floor immediately below these
hatches. This allowed placement of the chopper pump intake at a low
enough elevation so that the main sump floor could be dewatered.
A single mobile pump rig was designed and built to service all three
sumps. A gear-head manure chopper pump was mounted in hoisting guides
on the rear end of a surplus military ^ x 4 truck chassis. A reversible
electric winch was provided to raise or lower the pump. The rear axle
drive shaft of the truck was disconnected from the truck and splined to
engage the shaft of the gearhead pump when it was lowered into any sump.
The front end drive of the truck was left intact for self-propelled
mobility of the pumping rig.
The chopper pump had an internal flap-valve which could be set to either
recirculate slurry through a doubly-swivelled agitator nozzle or to
discharge slurry. The accumulated slurry in the sump could be resus-
pended, blended, and chopped. A quick coupling connection from the pump
discharge port to an underground 't-inch diameter PVC line allowed the
pump to transfer the homogenized slurry to a large receiving tank near
the main storage lagoons. Nearby water connections provided for diluting
the slurry, if necessary. Figure 26 shows the pump in position in a sump
notch but without the connection to the slurry transfer line.
Though operations and results will generally be discussed in a later
section of this report, operational problems which made it necessary to
redesign the manure collection and transfer system need to be mentioned
at this point. The mobile chopper pump rig did meet its intended objec-
tives of homogenizing and transferring slurry, but difficulties were
encountered. Inmates were probably not as conscientious about their
efforts and equipment care as normal farm owners or employees would have
been. Considerable damage to the pump rig resulted when it was hoisted
from a sump without first disengaging the power shaft and when they
attempted to drive away from the surnp without first hoisting the pump
from the sump. Safety chains to hold the pump in the hoisted position
were not always secured with the result that the pump was occasionally
dropped to the concrete slab while in motion. Baling wire and other
hardware got into the sumps to cause damage to the cutters and centrif-
ugal blades of the chopper pump. Also, the pump manufacturer had ceased
operations so that repair parts were in ques4. i^nabl e supply for the future,
After considerable experience with sue1 pump damage in connection with
the first two sumps to be constructed and operate^, a decision was made
to redesign the collection sump and pumping system. Construction of the
third sump and of pens C and D had been started at this time. Instead
of another rectangular sump to accommodate the mobile chopper pump rig,
the third sump was designed as a round, concrete block walled, sump. It
was 10 feet in diameter by 10 feet deep and placed on a poured concrete
base. It was designed to accommodate a stationary, electrically powered,
chopper pump. In order to eliminate recurrent damage problems with the
-------
• <
Figure 26. Mobile Chopper Pump Rig Shown in Place in Collection Sump. Discharge Connection
not Installed.
-------
mobile pump rig, it was decided that gravity slurry lines (See Figure 27)
would be installed to deliver all slurry to this one round sump.
Heavy steel troughs were fabricated to fit into the manure drop slots
for pens A and F. These troughs discharged to a single 15-inch diameter
concrete gravity line (slope lA-inch per foot) extending to the second
rectangular sump. A 15-inch concrete line (slope 1/2-inch per foot)
connected the second rectangular sump to the third round sump. The
original *4-inch diameter PVC slurry transfer line was modified to allow
several alternative functions or discharges for the stationary pump.
It could be set or valved to: (1) resuspend and homogenize the content
of the round sump, (2) discharge to the steel troughs of pen A and F to
flush the troughs and concrete lines, (3) discharge into the second
rectangular tank through nozzles to resuspend and flush its contents
on to the round sump, CO transfer homogenized slurry to the large
central receiving tank near the storage lagoons, or (5) flush out col-
lection gutters being designed to run longitudinally through pens C
and D.
Failure of the "hydraulic broom" to clean the full 115-foot length of
the previous pens had prompted a decision to try an angled "hydraulic
broom" to flush the manure laterally into a longitudinal gutter in pens
C and D. It was felt that this revision could overcome the problem of
slurry build-up in front of the "broom". The floor slab design of pens
C and D was altered to slope 1/8-inch per foot towards the central alley
and also lA-inch per foot laterally towards a grate-covered gutter
running the full length of each pen (pens C and D)I. This resulted in a
diagonally directed slope of 0.265 inches per horizontal foot as opposed
to 0.125 inches per foot in the first four pens completed. The width of
Che open pen area of pens C and D had been reduced from 30 feet to 22
feet which further reduced the distance over which slurry needed to be
flushed by the "hydraulic broom".
Flow in the longitudinal gutters discharged directly into the third or
round sump. The fifth listed alternative discharge mentioned for the
stationary chopper pump was to the upper end of the longitudinal gutters
to provide a flushing flow and avoid solids build-up. Figure 27 shows
the arrangement of the round sump, the 15~inch gravity line and the
longitudinal gutters.
MANURE TRANSPORT AND STORAGE
The pipeline to carry the manure: slurry from the collection sumps to the
storage lagoon area had to be located beneath the floor level of the new
barn in order to avoid obstructing either cattle or vehicle traffic.
Steel pipe was considered but would have been subject to corrosive attack
and also would have necessitated large diameter pipe-threading machinery.
PVC pipe was selected as being more permanent and easier to install. It
was also felt that the internal smoothness of both pipe and fittings
would offer less resistance to flow and less likelihood of solids plugging
96
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282 ft
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Figure 27. ^kx^ified Manure Handling System in New Cattle Housing Facility
-------
the line. A 4-inch diameter line was considered to be adequate since the
rate of transfer from the barn to the storage area was not especially
cr i t ical .
The transfer line was designed to permit the entry of clean-out rods or
tapes at each collection sump (via the pump connection) and at the main
change in line direction at the end of the central service alley. The
transfer line extended down the central service alley, turned east and
ran along the lateral service alley across the south end of the barn and
then extended southeasterly to a large central manure slurry tank in the
storage-treatment facilities area. The line length required was about
420 feet overall or 300 feet beyond the last sump connection.
A 2-foot wide strip of the lateral service alley floor was to be left
unpaved to allow excavation and repair of the slurry transfer line if it
should prove necessary. The main water supply line and the flushing
water supply line were also to be installed under this unpaved strip.
As initially planned, the slurry transfer line was to contain no valves.
Plugs would be inserted in any quick-coupling connections for the mobile
chopper pump that were not in use at any given time. Subsequent changes
in plans to use only a stationary pump in the round sump made it neces-
sary to install recirculation control valves at the two rectangular sumps.
It was intentionally planned that the transfer of slurry from the new
barn could only be to a large central manure slurry tank. This central
tank would provide for batch accumulation of slurry, volumetric measure-
ment, blending and sampling of manure slurry before it was either placed
in the storage lagoons or applied to crop land. Any slurry removed from
lagoon storage could also be batch accumulated in this tank, measured
and sampled before being applied to the fields. The function of the
central manure slurry tank was, therefore, dictated by research needs.
Such a tank would not be necessary in the manure handling scheme of a
normal farm operation. Near the end of the Project operations, a bypass
line was installed to allow slurry transfer directly from the barn to
the anaerobic storage lagoons.
The central manure slurry tank was located as near as possible to the
center of all related facilities. It was placed between the barn and
the storage lagoons and at the input end of the field distribution system.
Figure 28 shows the location of the central ir_ir'jre storage tank relative
to the storage lagoons and other facilities, because it would be filled
and emptied quite frequently, it was p1 iced in a gravel filled area at
such elevation that neither flooding nor high ground water level would
impose a problem of hydraulic lift when the tank was empty.
The centra] manure slurry tank was designed as a 36-foot diameter by
10-foot deep, flat bottomed, concrete block walled, uncovered basin.
With a resulting maximum capacity of 75,000 gallons, it could accumulate
almost 3,800 cow-days of manure production assuming 20 gallons of slurry
98
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1. Central Manure Slurry Tank 6.
2. High Pressure Chopper Pump § Sump 7.
3,4. fifanure Storage Lagoons 8,
5. Deep Lagoon withdrawal Sump 5 Pump 9,
\ r- Manure Slurry Line from New
'4£ Cattle Housing
Treated Effluent Storage Lagoon
Activated Sludge Feed Storage Tank
Activated Sludge A
Sedimentation Tank
10. Line to Field Distribution
System
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Edge of finbankment
eration Basin 11. Lagoon Inlet Mixing Jets
12. Aluminum Decanting Pipe
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Figure 28. Schematic Layout of Manure Storage, Treatment and Distribution Area
-------
per cow-day. This would equal about ten days of production from the new
barn at capacity occupancy.
As initially designed, the central slurry manure tank was equipped with
a 5 HP, 24-inch diameter, flat bladed, mixing turbine installed near the
basin floor. The mixer motor and gear reducer were mounted on a column
supported bridge extending to the tank center. A vertical shaft, sus-
pended from the gear reducer and equipped with a water lubricated bottom
steady bearing, supported and powered the turbine. A great deal of sand
in the initial manure slurries from the barn presented sediment problems
near the slurry tank walls. To promote resuspension of the sand, two
high velocity slurry jets were installed near the tank floor perimeter
to assist in mixing the tank contents.
The manure slurry transfer line from the collection sumps in the barn
and a slurry return line from the storage lagoons discharged independ-
ently over the wall into the central manure slurry tank. Provision was
also made to allow a truck mounted liquid manure spreader tank to empty
into the slurry tank. This provided for receiving slurry from the older
cattle confinement areas during periods when the spreader tank could not
operate in the fields because of bad weather or likelihood of runoff.
A 4-foot diameter pump sump was located about 8 feet away from the central
manure slurry tank. The sump and slurry tank were connected by a 24-inch
diameter corrugated metal pipe. A manually operated sluice gate in the
slurry tank controlled flow to the pump sump. The pump sump was about
one foot deeper than the slurry tank to allow nearly complete emptying of
the slurry tank. (Actual experience indicated that it should have been
S'ti 1 1 deeper.)
A high pressure manure chopper pump was selected for installation in the
4-foot diameter sump. It was rated to deliver about 200 gpm of slurry
at slightly more than 100 psig, but it was found that it would actually
deliver nearly 250 gpm at such pressure. The pump was equipped with a
recirculating jet discharging immediately beneath the intake cutters of
the pump to break up any suspended chunky materials in the slurry. As
installed, this pump was additionally valved to discharge back: (1) to
the central manure slurry tank through the supplemental mixer jets,
(2) to the anaerobic manure storage lagoons, or (3) to the field distri-
bution system.
At the time of writing the initial Prc.'ect proposal, it was planned that
three anaerobic storage lagoons would be constructed in a line along the
old slough area of the Farm. Subsequent consideration and exploration
indicated that dewatering problems at that location would be severe and
that gravely strata would present problems of infiltration and exfil-
tration. A location closer to the existing and proposed barns would
shorten manure slurry transfer lines and utility lines. Protection
against seasonal flooding by the Snoqualmie River would also be easier
at a site adjacent to the farm buildings.
100
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Three separate lagoons were designed with construction of the third
lagoon to be deferred until storage needs could be better evaluated.
Storage capacity requirements could range from as low as 1,080,000 gallons
(300 cows x 180 days x 20 gallons/cow-day) to ^,520,000 gallons (800 cows
x 180 days x 30 gallons/cow-day). Multiple lagoons instead of one single
large lagoon were chosen so that some variation in loading or operation
could be practiced during any year of operation.
The lagoons were each designed to have 18-foot total depth with 65-foot
by 65-foot square bottoms and 110-foot by 110-foot top dimensions. Each
lagoon could hold 600,000 gallons to the 16-foot depth or 6*6,000 gallons
to the 17-foot depth. Direct precipitation into the lagoon, assuming
36 inches of precipitation during a single storage season, would reduce
the 17-foot effective slurry storage capacity to only 373,000 gallons
per lagoon.
The lagoons were to be partially below and partially above original ground
level. Soil removed in the central excavation would be compacted in
superimposed banks. Most of the soil in the location area was a river
silt with a trace of sand so permeability or exfiltration was not consid-
ered to be a problem. It later developed that though the soil was of
low permeability, it would not hold a stable slope when wet. The interior
slopes had to be surcharged with a layer of fractured shale to prevent
the banks from sloughing back into the lagoon.
Manure slurry placed in the lagoons was expected to stratify into three
distinct zones: (1) a floating surface crust, (2) an intermediate strata
of liquor that was high in dissolved and colloidal solids but low in
suspended solids, and (3) a bottom deposit of settleable solid material.
The previous passage of input slurry through manure chopper pumps in the
collection sumps in the barn and in the central manure slurry pump sump
was expected to eliminate coarse or" long and fiberous material that would
tend to impart rigidity to either the crust or bottom deposits. The
formation of a floating crust was considered to be desirable. It would
tend to become a porous aerobic barrier to the escape of volatile, odor
producing gases and would also insulate the lagoon contents against heat
loss.
When withdrawal of slurry for field application was desired, some mech-
anism of resuspending the bottom deposits and of breaking up the surface
crust was needed. Initially, it was planned that a manure chopper pump
would be installed on a pier near the center of each lagoon. The pumps
would be equipped with jets that could be rotated about a vertical axis
and swivelled to angle upwards or downwards and, therefore, be aimed in
almost any direction. This plan was discarded for four reasons: (1) it
would require one such pump for each lagoon, (2) it would provide for
only one elevation of withdrawal in each lagoon, (3) it would require
electrical service extending to the center of each lagoon, and (k) each
supporting pier and pier-to-bank service bridge would have to be designed
to resist the starting torque of the chopper pumps and also to allow for
101
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hoisting and removing the heavy pumps for maintenance or repair work.
Turbine type mixers in each lagoon would have presented similar problems.
Neither chopper pumps nor turbines located in the lagoons could have
provided for withdrawal from the stratified liquor zone for feed to the
aerobic treatment facilities.
As an alternative scheme for lagoon mixing and withdrawal, light bridges
and piers were designed to extend to the center of each lagoon. A ^-inc
diameter PVC pipe, suspended from the bridge, branched to either of two
mixing jets in each lagoon. One of these jets was located four feet from
the lagoon bottom and the other at ten feet above the bottom. Each jet
mechanism could be horizontally rotated through 360° and swivelled from
about ^5° above horizontal to about 30° below horizontal. Either or both
jets could thus be directed towards any bottom deposit or floating crust.
The jets and bridge supported pipe of each lagoon were designed and valyed
to receive new manure slurry from the central manure slurry tank or recir-
culated slurry drawn from any lagoon. The jets, therefore, served as the
inlet connections to the lagoons.
Though construction of a third lagoon was deferred, all three lagoons
were designed to form an L-shape having a common corner. A single with-
drawal or recirculation sump and pump was designed to be located in that
common corner. Any withdrawal from any sump would be via a 12-inch
diameter ductile iron pipe extending from near the bottom of each lagoon
to this single sump. The ductile iron pipe for each lagoon was reduced
to a stub section of 8-inch pipe at lagoon floor level. The stub pipe
extended just into the lagoon adjacent and parallel to the length of the
bridge. A 5-foot section of reinforced Neoprene dredge hose coupled this
8-inch diameter stub pipe to a 21-foot long section of 8-inch diameter
aluminum pipe extending on out into the lagoon. With the hose section
in the line, the aluminum pipe could be swung through any angle from
horizontal to vertical. These pipes allowed gravity flow withdrawal from
any level within the lagoon before, after, or during mixing. It was^not
necessary to install valves in either the ductile iron or aluminum pipes
since the open end of the aluminum pipe could be raised out of the liquid
to provide flow shut-off.
A small hand winch from each bridge to the corresponding free end of the
aluminum pipe provided for hoisting it to th'. -lesired withdrawal elevation,
Unfortunately, it was subsequently found that ,ioisting the aluminum pipes
was not difficult but getting them to 'ink and flood when empty did pose a
problem.
The withdrawal sump was 21-feet deep with a bottom floor elevation about
2-feet lower than the floor of the lagoons. A poured concrete base
supported ^-foot diameter concrete pipe which served as the vertical sump
walls. A ^0-HP manure chopper pump was modified to incorporate a 19-foot
long vertical enclosed pump shaft. The motor was mounted above the top
of the sump to drive the pump located just above the sump floor.
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The discharge connection of this deep sump pump was designed to be valved
to flow: (!) back into any lagoon through the mixer jets, (2) to the
central manure slurry tank and thus to the field distribution system,
(3) directly to the field distribution system without additional pumping
(for possibly loading liquid manure spreader tanks at remote locations),
or (4) to a feed storage-equalization tank for an activated sludge treat-
ment process.
AEROBIC TREATMENT FACILITIES
When the Project plans were initially being developed, it was felt that
some effort should be directed towards destructive treatment of manure
slurry as an alternative to only storage and field application. It was
not felt that such treatment would be essential to future Honor Farm
operations although they might prove helpful. If stratified liquor
could be withdrawn from the lagoons and upgraded in quality by aerobic
treatment, such water could either be reused as flushing water or dis-
charged. This would reduce the required lagoon storage capacity. Such
aerobic treatment could also be useful in disposing of liquid wastes
from the milk processing plant. More importantly, success of such
treatment might prove valuable to dairies having insufficient land
suitable for field application of manure. Since the anaerobic lagoons
would be in operation anyway, it was considered appropriate to attempt
such treatment in connection with the Project.
For the sake of simplicity of facilities, a completely mixed activated
sludge process was chosen. In order to avoid the additional maintenance
problems associated with air cleaners, blowers, and air diffusers, a
surface turbine was selected as the means of aeration and mixing.
Certain assumptions were made to establish a design basis for the acti-
vated sludge process. The maximum volume of lagoon liquor to be treated
was assumed to be equal to the amount of rainwater that could be expected
to fall directly into the storage lagoons. The 36 inches of anticipated
precipitation over 180 days of wet storage season would average 600 ft.3
(4500 gal) per day of liquor to be treated. The anticipated strength of
3000 to 4000 mg BOD/1 would represent an organic loading of 110 to 150 Ib.
BOD/day. Liquid wastes from milk processing, after some reductions in
water usage and segregation of uncontaminated cooling water, were antici-
pated to be around 12,000 gallons/day at an average strength of 1000 rng
BOD/1. This would impose a loading of 100 Ib. BOD/day on the experimental
activated sludge plant.
The stratified liquor from the lagoons could be withdrawn through the
aluminum pipes and the deep sump but the rate of such withdrawal was far
in excess of the activated sludge process rate. Also, the milk waste
flow was highly variable and occurred during only a fraction of each
day. An equalization tank was designed to accumulate and blend at least
a 1-day supply of feed liquor (lagoon supernatant and/or milk processing
waste). This tank was 14 ft.-10 in. in diameter by 10 feet deep (12,900
gallons). A concrete block wall on a poured concrete base formed the
103
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tank which was set below ground level in a fill area where hydraulic lift
on the empty tank constituted no problem.
A smaller, but similarly constructed, tank was designed for the activated
sludge aeration basin (II ft.-9 in. diameter by 6 feet deep). At a
maximum liquor depth of k ft.-2 in., it would hold ^50 ft.5 (3350 gallons)
of mixed liquor or 112 Ibs. of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) at a
solids concentration of ^000 mg/1.
The surface aeration turbine was a simple 2^-inch diameter x 3/16-inch
thick steel disk to the bottom of which eight radial flat blades (4-inch
long sections of 1 1/2x1 1/2 inch angle) were bolted. Holes in the
circular disk were drilled to admit air to the trailing side of the
blades when rotated. The turbine was suspended from, and rotated by,
a vertical shaft which was in turn suspended from the vertical output
shaft of a gear reducer. The gear reducer was belt driven through a
Reeves-type variable speed pulley by a 2-HP motor. The drive assembly
was mounted on a fixed bridge spanning the aeration basin. The turbine
disk could be raised or lowered on the vertical shaft to optimize
aeration at any liquid depth desired in the basin. Mixed liquor depth,
and thus volume, could be altered by an adjustable overflow weir which
discharged mixed liquor to a final clarifier.
Input feed flow to the aerator was regulated by a float controlled con-
stant head tank and valve. A 1 1/2 inch diameter line from near the
bottom of the equalization tank extended to the suction side of parallel
feed pumps. The pump discharge maintained the level in the constant
head tank. Any excess flow was returned to the equalization tank through
a mixing jet to keep the tank contents mixed and prevent any suspended
solids from precipitating.
The final clarifier for separating the mixed liquor into final effluent
and return activated sludge was 6 feet in diameter by 6 ft.-6 in. deep.
It consisted of rings of concrete sewer pipe stacked vertically upon a
poured concrete base. A steel cone in the base formed a sludge hopper
and suction connection for the return activated sludge pump. Inflow to
the clarifier entered a central stilling well at mid-depth. A bottom
sludge scraper was rotated at 3A RPM by a bridge-mounted worm gear
reducer. A common motor powered the scraper and a diaphragm-type sludge
return pump. Clarified effluent was collect- J at two weir cups at the
surface and conveyed by gravity to a small effluent storage lagoon. It
was initially planned that a chlorine Contact tank would be installed
in the effluent line, but it was Uter assumed that if chlorination was
necessary, it could be done in the effluent storage lagoon.
No provision was made for either thickening excess activated sludge or
for controlling a constant split between returned and wasted sludge
from the^clarifier. With an anticipated high rate of sludge synthesis
at the high organic loading, such provisions should have been made.
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FIELD DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
Several dairies in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere had previously
constructed pits to accumulate manure in liquid slurry form over short
periods of time. Some dairymen pumped this slurry into tank spreaders
and hauled it for crop land application on a year round schedule. Others
had installed high pressure chopper pumps which delivered slurry through
portable aluminum pipe to a single manure "gun" or spreading nozzle for
field application. Such pump and pipeline application was also practiced
on a year round basis. In some instances for either of these spreading
techniques, there could be little doubt that water and/or solids could
flow away to contaminate surface waters during the wetter winter seasons.
Problems of field compaction and rutting by wheeled tractors and tank
wagons was at least logically reduced by the pump, pipeline and nozzle
system. The pump, pipeline and nozzle equipment was commercially avail-
able and appeared to be quite reliable.
In planning for long-term storage of manure during the wet seasons of
high runoff potential, it was recognized that the subsequent field
application technique would be vitally significant. The cost of field
application had to be minimal. The timing of application to most crops
or fields could be critical. Any labor requirements for field spreading
operations during the summer would be superimposed upon labor needs for
seeding, maintaining and harvesting crops during the growing season.
All such consideration indicated that manure slurry application could
best be accomplished by pump, pipeline and nozzle technique. While
portable aluminum pipe offered flexibility of operation, labor for
moving and reconnecting long strings of pipe represented a significant
problem. Surface lines crossing fields and roads would interfere with
movement of cultivating, harvesting, and hauling equipment. Aluminum
pipe can be damaged rather easily. For these reasons, a primary distri-
bution system of underground pipeline was designed to reach within 1500
feet or less of any point on approximately 175 acres of crop land on
the Farm. Six riser stations for connecting portable pipe were
strategically located so that spreading manure on any one field would
not block vehicular traffic in or from any other field. Figure 29
indicates the location of the underground pipeline, valves and risers.
An additional 1500 feet of portable secondary line was needed to connect
the buried line to the manure gun at any desired point on the Farm.
The flow in the field distribution system would be pumped by the high
pressure chopper pump in the sump adjacent to the central manure slurry
tank. This pump was rated to match the desired flow and pressure rating
of the field distribution "gun" or nozzle. (i.e. 200 gpm at 100 psig).
Friction losses in the distribution system would vary, of course,
depending upon how far the flow was conveyed in the underground line and
how much portable pipe was needed to reach a selected point of application,
PVC pipe and fittings were selected for the underground pipeline because
of its smooth interior surface and the ease of assembly of the cemented
105
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Underground PVC Manure Distribution Line
3-Way Plug Valve at Line Branch
3-Way Plug Valve and Riser
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Ris^r at End of Line
Figure 29. Farm Plan Showing Location of Underground Pipe, Valves and Risers of
Field Distribution System.
-------
joints. Approximately 1830 feet of 5'inch diameter and 1670 feet of
^-inch diameter line were to be laid at depths of ^ feet. Larger pipe
would have allowed lower head losses but both the pump manufacturer and
the pipe vendor felt that at flows of 200 to 230 gpm, the velocity could
be low enough to permit solids segregation and deposition in lines of
any size greater than 5 inches.
It was recognized that if the line should become plugged with solids at
any point, it would constitute a major expense to excavate the line, cut
out the plugged section, and splice in new pipe. The suspended solids
of manure slurries tend to be strained out and tightly compacted if a
slurry line is partially obstructed. The lines, whether aluminum or
PVC, tend to stretch slightly under pressure and fill with tightly packed
solids. Then when the hydrostatic pressure is released, the pipe con-
tracts to solidly grip the plug of solids which can build up to several
feet in length. Efforts to rod or ream out the solids are usually
futile. For this reason, a three-way plug valve instead of a Tee was
installed at every branch or riser location in the buried line. Thus
no dead-end section would be left under pressure except when actual flow
was occurring. Operational plans called for flushing the pipeline with
solids-free water whenever use of any section would be discontinued for
more than a few hours. This was intended to, and did, prevent solids
deposition and consolidation anywhere in the line.
Each of the six riser stations consisted of a three-way valve installed
in the main underground line with the side port connected to an elbow
and a vertical riser extending above ground level. Each riser termi-
nated with a quick-coupling connection for ^-inch diameter aluminum
irrigation pipe. Aluminum pipe in 30-foot lengths with irrigation-type
couplings was provided to reach any selected point of application.
The manure "gun" discharged through a 15/16-inch diameter nozzle. The
"gun" nozzle was mounted on a vertical-axis swivel joint and discharged
at an angle of about ^0° above horizontal. Gun rotation was accomplished
by a jet deflecting blade on a counter weighted kicker arm that swung up
into the jet about once every two seconds. The gun assembly was wheel
mounted for portability.
LABORATORY - OFFICE BUILDING
Institutional Farm Industries did have some office space at the Honor
Farm but such space was already utilized to full capacity before the
Project was initiated. Space suitable for establishment of a laboratory
was not available. Initially, it was planned that a temporary laboratory-
office building would be constructed in the proximity of the manure
storage and treatment facilities. This would have necessitated the exten-
sion of potable water lines and other utilities, however. There was also
a serious question about inmate security and safety if the laboratory
was situated beyond the immediate view of the security office. It was
decided that the new laboratory-office space could best be added on to
107
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the existing Honor Farm offices where water, telephone, and other util-
ities were already available and where items such as copy machines could
be shared. The new space would then have utility after conclusion of
the Project instead of requiring expenditures for removal.
A 20-foot by 59-foot concrete block walled addition was planned to extend
across the front of the existing Institutional Farm Industries offices.
As shown in Figure 30, the laboratory would occupy 260 square feet of
the new space plus UO square feet of the existing building space. The
remaining new area would provide: (l) office space for the technical
staff of the Project, (2) enlarged office space for the Project Co-
Director, (3) a conference area, and (*•) a clerical and switchboard
office. Some Project accounting work would be conducted in the older
existing office space.
MISCELLANEOUS
It was initially planned that wastes from the milk processing plant would
be intercepted in a pump sump. From this sump the waste would either be
pumped to the aerobic treatment facilities for lagoon supernate or to a
new lagoon to be built to handle sanitary sewage associated with inmate
housing and food service. The sanitary sewage lagoons did not repre-
sent a portion of this Project, but it was contemplated that they would
be constructed at about the same time. Plans were developed for inter-
ceptor sumps for both the milk processing waste flow and for the waste
from the milking parlor. Subsequent changes in plans for the sanitary
waste problems prevented actual development of these planned facilities.
Approximately ten acres of farm land was set aside for experimental
agronomy test plots. This was staked out for tests with varied amounts
of manure applied in accordance with several application schedules for
several different crops. The area selected was situated so that it
could either be served by the field distribution system or by more con-
ventional methods of manure application.
Some trial sections of concrete gutters were designed to be constructed
by a local concrete products firm. These gutters were built to permit
installation of high velocity jets of flushing water so that heavy or
thick manure slurry could be conveyed to collection sumps. Though the
gutter sections were found to be capable of ..mure slurry transmission,
they were not found to be economically attractive. Actually, it was
found that rather thick manure slurry -ould be conveyed through gravity
concrete or plastic lines rather easily anyway sc that special gutters
were not necessary.
108
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Figure 30. Plan of Laboratory - Office Addition
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APPENDIX E
CONSTRUCTION—PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS
ANAEROBIC STORAGE LAGOONS
Recognition of the probable impact of the approaching winter climate dic-
tated that earth work for the deep anaerobic storage lagoons should start
at the earliest possible time. Design details and layout surveying could
not be completed until mid-September, however. This coincided in time
with both the height of the regional construction boom and the highest
seasonal labor demands for crop harvesting in the local area. It was
actually late September before lagoon construction could be initiated.
By mid-October, the deep lagoon withdrawal sump was installed and much
of the earth work for the lagoons had been done. An occasional light
rain had occurred without consequence but on October 18 there was an ^
estimated 1 1/2 inches of precipitation. This gave the first real indi-
cation of how difficult it actually would be to work with the rivet-
bottom soils during the wet winter months. It became obvious by the end
of October, rather than at the end of November, that the lagoons simply
could not be finished until the following summer. Water was standing to
depths as great as 2 1/2 feet in lagoon areas already excavated. Embank-
ment slopes on both the inside and outside of the lagoons were sloughing
badly. Any attempt to compact the lagoon walls resulted only in deep
ruts and more mud.
The Farm is located near the confluence of the Snoqualmie and the
Skykomish Rivers, both of which have large drainage areas in the Cascade
Mountain Range. An above normal snow pack had accumulated by late
December when warm weather and heavy rains started rapid melting and
runoff. A near-record flood resulted to further plague construction
efforts Figures 31 and 32 show the sloughing and the nearness of flood
waters as of late December, 1967- Had the initially planned location of
the storage lagoons along the old slough been maintained, they would
probably have been overtopped and certainly would have been encircled by
the flood waters.
Portable pumps were used to dewater the previously excavated portions of
the lagoons in early April, only to be filie- igain by more rainfall.
Only after repeated pumping was it possible to resume lagoon earth work
in June, 1968.
Several design changes were required. A previously unsuspected thin
gravel lens was encountered just below the planned lagoon floor level.
It was necessary to elevate all levels about 1 foot to avoid the prob-
able exfiltration problem. This decreased the amount of excavated
material and increased the amount of dike fill material required in order
to maintain the same storage capacity. The excess required fill was
hauled by truck from a hillside barrow pit. It was also necessary to
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Figure 31. Deterioration of Anaerobic Storage Lagoon Embankments
(December 1967)
Figure 32. Flood Conditions Adjacent to Lagoon Construction
Area. Cropland in Background (December 1967)
I/I
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cover ail exposed embankment surfaces with a rock surcharge to stabilize
the slopes and prevent additional sloughing or erosion.
Placement of the 12-inch ductile iron slurry withdrawal connections to
the deep withdrawal sump, completion of earth work, and hauling of the
rock surcharge material was completed in mid-August.
Concrete footings were formed and poured in each lagoon at: (l) the top
of the west bank slope, (2) near the bottom of the west bank, and (3) six
feet towards the west bank from the center. These concrete footings
were to support the service bridges for the lagoons. Used or surplus
if-inch by 4-inch galvanized steel angles were used to fabricate an inter-
mediate and center pier for each bridge. Enough surplus structural
aluminum beam was acquired to form the deck beams of one bridge. Timber
beams were used for the second bridge. Each bridge extended approximately
f feet beyond the central support pier to allow placement and rotation of
the influent slurry nozzles. Decking planks were secured directly to the
service bridge beams.
The ^-inch diameter PVC influent slurry lines for each bridge were sus-
pended below and immediately adjacent to the bridge decking. These lines
were then branched, valved, and reduced to form parallel 3-inch diameter
s'_eel lines near the central pier of each bridge. (See Figure 33)- Both
3-inch lines extended on to the center of the lagoon and turned down
through elbows to vertical drop pipes. A union was placed immediately
below each of these elbows to allow rotation of the drop pipes about a
vertical axis. One drop pipe in each lagoon extended to within four feet
of the lagoon bottom with the other dropping to 10 feet above the bottom.
A nozzle arrangement, fabricated from standard pipe fittings, was installed
on the terminal end of each drop pipe. This nozzle could be swivelled
from about ^5° above horizontal to 30° below horizontal by an operating
handle extending up to the pipe unions. The combination of horizontal
rotation at the unions and vertical swivelling at the nozzles allowed
the influent flow to be directed in essentially any direction from either
or both influent lines in either lagoon. The nozzle diameters could be
changed to any size between I inch and 2 1/2 inch nominal pipe size. A
steady bearing to resist the reaction of the nozzles was placed immedi-
ately below each nozzle and braced to the central bridge support tower.
Five-foot long sections of 8-inch diameter Mrjorene dredge hose was
coupled to the buried ductile iron gravity withdrawal pipes for each
lagoon. A 21-foot long section of 8-ioch diameter aluminum pipe was
coupled to the free end of the drec'ge nose to serve as a variable level
decanting 1ine.
Figure 3*» shows the service bridge and decanting line of one lagoon.
The vertical influent slurry lines, bridge safety rails, and winch to
operate the decanting lines had not been installed when this picture
was taken. The naturally fractured shale used as stabilizing surcharge
was in place at that time.
1 12
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4-inch PVC Influent Line
Suspended Under Bridge
Unions For Rotation
About Vertical Axi
Tee With Threads
,Removed
Nozzles
Horizontal Axis for
Swiveling in Vertical
Plane
Bottom Steady Bearing
Nozzle
Figure 33- Schematics of Influent Piping to Anaerobic Storage Lagoons
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Figure 34. Anaerobic Storage Lagoon Showing Bridge, Withdrawal Pipe and Neoprene Hose Connection
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Slurry was first stored in the first lagoon in early March, 19&9- The
second lagoon was completed and ready for use in June, 19&9-
CATTLE HOUSING
While design and layout work for the anaerobic storage lagoons was pro-
gressing, site preparation for the new barn or confinement structure was
underway. Even before a decision to move the hay barn had been made,
placement of fill dirt to elevate the new barn site above the floodable
land surface had started. Concrete footings for the new location of the
hay barn were formed and poured and the movement itself completed during
the last week of August 1967-
The hauling of fill dirt for the new barn site was pursued only whenever
either men or equipment were not committed to lagoon construction or to
critical farm operations. By early November, 19&7, tne estimated 8500
cubic yards of fill was sufficiently near completion to allow surveying
and staking for the location of all column footings for the new structure.
Considerable difficulty, associated with rainy or freezing weather, was
encountered before all the forming and pouring of the 72 concrete footings
could be completed in mid-December.
The prefabricated structural steel elements for the new barn arrived via
rail from Texas in early January, 1968. The erecting contractor had all
structural elements erected by the end of January and had the building
roof and upper wall sheeting completed by mid-February. By this time,
plans for the interior details of pens, mangers, walls, and manure sumps
were complete allowing such construction work to be undertaken under roof.
The first manure collection sump to service 2 cattle pens, the main
loafing area pavement of pen A, and most of the footings for the divider
walls of pen A were formed, poured, and completed by late March, 1968.
Freezing weather and labor shortages had significantly delayed progress
on the interior details for the barn. Late delivery on purchase orders
for PVC pipe and fittings and on control valves further delayed the com-
pletion of the first pen and the pavement of the central alleyway, since
some pipe fittings and valves had to be installed under the concrete
mangers and alley floor slab. Work on other facilities such as the
laboratory-office building and some service water lines was underway
while awaiting receipt of critical construction materials for the barn.
Construction of a second manure collection sump and a start on the second
and third cattle pens were worked into the schedule during the delay of
work on the first pen. The storm water collection and removal system, .
consisting of 10-inch and 15~inch concrete pipe was also installed
during March and April.
The PVC pipe and fittings began arriving in April. Hydraulic flushing
water supply lines, perforated flushing lines, the elevated tank and
distribution lines for stock watering, and the manure slurry transfer
lines could then be installed allowing completion of the first pen. The
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mangers, stanchions, curbs around the bedded stalla, and other details
of the first pen were completed in late May. The first 63 head of cows
were transferred to pen A on May 27, 1968. Some minor changes in the
flushing water lines and in the bedding arrangement of stalls were
needed. It was June 7, 1968, when cattle were permanently installed in
pen A.
According to the initial plan, cattle would be observed in the first
completed pen for a few days before starting construction of additional
pens. The late receipt of pipe and valves had made it necessary to
proceed with construction of the second manure collection sump plus
significant portions of pens B and F before such observations were pos-
sible, however. Pen F, to house young stock and pregnant heifers, was
being completed as a subdividable holding pen without any individual
bedded stalIs .
While construction work on the interior facilities was progressing at the
Project site, the mobile chopper pump rig to operate with the manure
collection sumps was being developed in the shops at the Washington State
Penitentiary at Walla Walla. This rig, described on page 91*, was com-
pleted and ready for use by June 7, '968, when cattle were permanently
installed in pen A. Though the transfer line to convey manure slurry to
the central manure slurry tank was complete at that time, the central
manure slurry tank itself was not. It was necessary, therefore, to con-
struct a temporary slurry line from the first collection sump to a point
just outside the barn. The mobile chopper pump rig could then^be used
to load a truck-mounted tank-type manure spreader for application of the
manure to fields.
Pen F was completed in July and pen B in early September. The only
significant differences between pens A and B were: (1) the perimeter
flushing lines under the concrete manger and at the end of the alleys
between stalls were omitted in pen B, (2) a different orientation to the
brooming or roughening of the concrete floor slab surface was used, and
(3) the dividers between bedded stalls was modified. Construction
activity inside the barn was then slowed down in order to divert both
men and equipment to the completion of other facilities such as the
lagoons, the central manure slurry tank and its adjacent pump sump,
the field distribution system piping, and repairs to water service lines.
In September, 1968, the truck-mounted "hydrauTc broom" was subjected
to its first full scale test. (See Panes 92 and 93). It was apparent
that the "broom" would never be able to flush awn" one day's manure
accumulation along the full 115 foot length of a pen. It did appear
that it could, after modification, flush the manure laterally across
the width of the loafing area of a pen. By this time, observation of
the cattle in pens A and B had indicated that the width of the loafing
area could and should be significantly reduced which would also reduce
the distance over which manure needed to be flushed. Construction of
pens C and D had to be delayed, therefore, until revised detail plans
could be developed and necessary materials acquired.
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A problem with the PVC pipe and fittings started to show up at about
this time. The total significance of pipe failures developed later, but
in September it was necessary to break out one section of the alley floor
to repair a high pressure PVC water service line. Several more critical
breaks occurred both inside the barn and elsewhere to cause serious
interruptions in construction efforts. This problem will be more fully
discussed in a subsequent part of this report.
The temperature dropped to about freezing in late December. Then, on
December 30, 1968, a very rapid and severe further drop in temperature
to about 0°F occurred. Although emergency plans had been established
to drain the overhead stock watering supply tank and distribution lines
to prevent freezing damage; the speed and severity of the temperature
drop was too great. By the time it was realized that such emergency
action was necessary, it was too late. Essentially every section of
the pipe in the distribution system had already ruptured. Some float^
valves in the drinking cups for the cows had also broken. After consid-
ering the extent of damage and the possibility of similar occurrences
in the future, it was decided that the stock watering system had to be
changed. Sections of the concrete mangers were blocked off and converted
to watering troughs or tanks. New underground supply lines were installed
to avoid future freeze-up problems. The overhead supply system was
drained, disconnected, and abandoned.
By January, 1969, the construction details for pens C and D were essen-
tially complete. The arrangement of bedded stalls and mangers would be
essentially the same as they had been for pens A and B. The loafing
area width was to be reduced from 30 feet to 22 feet and would slope 1/8
inch per foot longitudinally and 1A inch per foot laterally. A grate-
covered longitudinal gutter would run the full length of each pen sloping
lA inch per foot towards a common manure collection sump in the
central alleyway. The gutter itself would have a 10-inch diameter circu-
lar cross section formed by pouring concrete around a Fiberglas liner.
The common collection sump to serve pens C and D was to be a 10-foot
diameter by 10-foot deep.sump having concrete block walls on a poured
concrete base. The sump was to be offset from the alley center far
enough to allow an electrically powered chopper pump to be permanently
installed in a small blocked off section of pen C.
The location of the new third collection sump presented a serious
construction'problem. The excavation required to pour the concrete would
have to be about 11-feet deep and only about 8-feet away from the foun-
dation pier for one building column and 12-feet from a second adjacent
pier. While the excavation was open, the banks sloughed or caved in to
the extent that both footings and columns were in jeopardy. To further
compound the problem, one of the heaviest snowfalls of record for the
area occurred while the footings were partially undercut. Thus a very
heavy deadload (1 *t inches of wet saturated snow) was superimposed on the
structure while two adjacent footing blocks (** foot by It foot by 2 foot
concrete) were suspended from the roof rather than supporting it.
-------
Probably it was more a matter of good luck rather than good planning that
permitted the sump base to be poured, the block walls to be laid, and the
back filling to be completed without roof collapse.
The necessary 10-inch diameter Fiberglas liner sections for.the gutters
were fabricated in Seattle and available by the first of March. The
intricate form work for the longitudinal gutter was completed, the
Fiberglas liner sections assembled and placed, and the gutter concrete
poured for pen C by the end of March, 1969. It had been decided that
pen D construction would be postponed indefinitely since pens A, B, C,
E, and F were adequate, in conjunction with pre-Project housing facil-
ities, to handle the then existing herd size. Pens A, B, C, and E,
when completed, would provide housing or confinement for 250 head of
producing cows and pen F was already completed for housing young stock
and pregnant heifers.
Even with the gutter installed for pen C, it seemed that completion of
pen E, to be similar to pens A and B, could be achieved more quickly
than for pen C. To the extent that men and equipment could be spared
from construction of other project facilities and operations, they were
assigned to completion work on pen E. This pen was completed and put
in use in August, 1969.
Work on pen C then resumed but utilizing only the men and equipment to
the extent that they were not completely engaged in other more critical
work. Grading, forming, and pouring for the 22-foot wide slab of the
loafing area, for the footings for pen walls, and for the alley between
bedded stall areas moved quite slowly on this basis and was not com-
pleted until early March, 1970. Rather intricate form work and false
work was required for pouring the alley floor slab over the new round
manure collection sump and the beam to carry the wall of pen C across
the top of the sump. The form work was ready for concrete pouring on
March 12, ig/O when a significant change in plans became necessary.
As discussed on page Sk, the mobile chopper pump was damaged repeatedly
while in service on the two previously constructed rectangular manure
collection sumps. It was then discovered that the manufacturer of the
chopper pump had discontinued manufacturing and sales operations. Spare
parts were no longer going to be available until, and unless, some other
company acquired the patent and/or manufacturing rights. Since the pump
had repeatedly sustained damage while being hoisted or moved, it was
decided that a stationary pump system was needed that could handle the
manure slurry from all of the cattle pens. The revised design for manure
collection for pens A, B, E, and F is described on page 96 through 98 and
is shown in Figure 27. The plan essentially called for installation of a
15-inch diameter line connecting the second and third (round) collection
sumps and extending on to Intercept the slurry flow from pens A and F.
The altered design called for a series of difficult construction steps
which were further complicated by the fact that cattle were already
IIS
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housed in pens A, B, E, and F. These cattle had to be fed, watered,
and moved to and from the milking parlor. Also, manure had to be removed
while the alteration work was progressing in the central alleyway. The
water supply lines and manure slurry transfer line was already installed
under the alleyway floor slab and had to be protected while the exca-
vation for, and placement of, the 15-inch concrete line was under way.
Because of the critical need to coordinate the construction work with
cattle operations, a higher priority was assigned to the alleyway con-
struction work.
The heavy steel troughs to be inserted into the manure receiving slots
in the sump for pens A and F were fabricated in the machine shops of
the College of Engineering at Washington State University. While this
was under way, the excavation was made to lay the 15-inch line from the
round manure collection sump to the middle (pens B and E) collection
sump. The central alleyway had already been paved between pens A, B,
E, and F so i t was necessary to break out a 6-foot wide by l»0-foot long
strip of concrete in order to excavate that portion. While this was
not reinforced concrete, it was discovered to be from 6 to 8 inches
thick instead of the planned ^-inch thickness. Three-inch deep cuts
were sawed along both sides of the breakout strip in order to avoid
cracking the remainder of the alley slab or the footings for the pen
walls. A pavement breaker was then used to fracture the strip of floor
slab.
The middle collection sump had to be pumped and cleaned in order to
open holes through the heavily reinforced sump walls to connect the
15-inch concrete pipe. It was discovered that the forms had slipped
when the south wall of the manure sump had been poured with the result
that the wall was actually 16-inches thick at the point of breakthrough
rather than the 8-inch designed thickness.
As soon as the section of new line from the round sump to the middle
sump was completed and back filled, the remaining section to connect
pens A and B to the middle sump was started. The strip of alley floor
slab was broken out and the trench excavated. A manhole was constructed
near the north wall of the south sump to form a transition from the
steel troughs, installed in the manure slots, to the 15-inch concrete
line. A portion of the high pressure water service line had to be
relocated in order to allow placement of the lines connecting the steel
troughs to the manhole. Both the water line and the manure slurry line
(both k-inch diameter PVC) were found to be under a severe strain
because of differential settlement of the barn site fill material. The
lines were uncovered and realigned before back filling and repaying the
central alleyway.
Connections were provided in the south sump (between pens A and F) to
allow recirculated slurry to be flushed through the troughs and con-
crete line. A high pressure water outlet near the sump could also be
used for flushing in the event that there was not enough slurry on hand
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for recirculated flusning. An outlet was also cut into the manure
slurry transfer 1'ine in the middle sump. A mainline valve, a branch
valve, and a nozzle were installed in the middle sump so that the dis-
charge from the stationary chopper pump could be directed to agitate
the contents of the middle sump and thus assure flow on to the round
sump.
The pouring1 of the slab over the round sump and the beam to carry the
pen wall across the top of the sump was accomplished while the alter-
ations in the alleyway were progressing. By the end of June, 1970, all
the alteration work in the alleyway was completed except for the actual
installation of the stationary chopper pump in the round sump and the
installation of a slurry line to the outside end of the longitudinal
gutter in pen C. This line would provide for recirculation through the
gutter for flushing purposes. Provision was also made to flush the
gutter with fresh water if necessary at any time. The pump was installed
and operational by mid-July. The mangers, watering troughs, stall
dividers, grate covers for the longitudinal gutter, and other details of
pen C were completed by the end of July, 1970. Cows were installed in
this pen on August 6, 1970. This essentially completed all construction
work on the new barn.
One additional detail of construction has not been previously discussed.
The barn structure proper had initially not included any enclosing walls
between the ground level and an elevation of 1^-feet above ground.
During the 68-69 winter season, it was observed that the predominant
southerly winds were driving rain and snow well into the barn. It was
decided that closing in the south wall would significantly reduce the
winds in the barn and would protect the mangers of pens A and F from
the wind blown precipitation. This was accomplished sometime during
that winter season.
MANURE TRANSPORT AND AEROBIC TREATMENT FACILITIES
The central manure slurry tank, the high pressure chopper pump sump, the
aerobic treatment facilities, and the treated effluent storage lagoon
were all to be located in a common area adjacent to the anaerobic storage
lagoons. These facilities were all to be constructed as open-topped
vessels or pits recessed below grade. It was necessary that they neither
be subjected to inundation during flooding si.nations nor to hydrostatic
lift should they be empty when groundwater levels might be high.
The three initially planned anaerobic storage lagcons were to be con-
structed in an L-shaped configuration so that they would occupy three
quadrants of a large square. The central manure slurry tank and aerobic
treatment facilities were to be constructed in the fourth or remaining
quadrant of the square. The ground level of the facilities quadrant was
to be elevated to approximately the same elevation as the top of the
storage lagoon embankments using fill dirt acquired during the excavation
and construction of the anaerobic lagoons.
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Construction surveying and staking started in September, 196?, for the
anaerobic storage lagoons and the above facilities. A combination of
earthwork efforts and rainy weather had reduced the facilities quadrant
to a bottomless mud bog by late October, 19&7, when further earthwork
was halted. By the time work could resume in the following spring, a
decision had been made to defer construction of the third storage lagoon.
This reduced the amount of available fill material. Also, encountering
a gravel strata at the planned lagoon floor elevation made it necessary
to raise all lagoon elevations. This further reduced the yield of fill
material from lagoon construction. It was necessary, therefore, to
haul in some 2,000 cubic yards of additional fill material in order to
elevate the facilities quadrant and to complete the lagoon embankments.
A gravelly glacial till material from a hillside site was selected that
would add stability to the fine textured soil at the lagoon site. The
filling and rough grading of the area was completed by early June, 1968.
The general layout of the central manure slurry tank and aerobic treat-
ment facilities is shown in Figure 28 on page 99. The designed details
for the central manure slurry tank are discussed on page 100, and the
remaining facilities details are given on pages 103 through 105.
The excavation for the various tanks was started on June 28, 1968. The
concrete bases for the central manure slurry tank and the high pressure
chopper pump sump were poured first. The first ring of ^4-foot diameter
sewer pipe to form the walls of the pump sump had been provided with an
opening for the 2*»-inch diameter corrugated pipe connection between these
two tanks. As soon as the bottom ring of the pump sump and the corrugated
connection were in place, the concrete block and mortar walls of the
central manure slurry tank could be placed. The remaining section of the
pump sump walls were then placed and grouted allowing the placement of
backfill around both tanks.
The equalization tank and aeration basin were the next tanks to be con-
structed. The excavations were made and the bases poured simultaneously.
The block walls of these two tanks plus the earthwork for the treated
effluent storage lagoon had just been completed when a nearby major
waterline broke. The resulting flood washed soil and gravel into all
of the completed tanks and caused significant sloughing of the effluent
lagoon banks. It was necessary to clean out the tanks and reshape the
effluent lagoon before any further work could proceed. Rock surcharge
was placed to stabilize the interior embankment slopes of the lagoon
against further sloughing. The final clarifier basin was then con-
structed. Before the concrete bottom of this tank was poured, a conical
steel sludge hopper and sludge withdrawal pipe had to be placed in the
concrete form. The construction of all of the basins, less all internal
hardward and plumbing, plus the treated effluent storage lagoon was
completed by the end of August, 1968.
A 6-inch diameter gravity flow PVC line with a gate valve was installed
to connect the treated effluent storage lagoon with the high pressure
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chopper pump sump. This was to make it possible to use treated effluent
for flushing solids out of the lines of the field distribution^system
when desired or for rinsing manure solids off of field vegetation fol-
lowing the application of manure slurry to growing crops.
A tower or column was erected at the center of the central manure slurry
tank to support the turbine type mixer and one end of a service bridge.
The bridge itself was then constructed. A wooden steady bearing for the
mixing turbine was mounted in a recessed hole in the floor at the center
of the central manure slurry tank. The turbine and its supporting drive
shaft were then installed.
Because of late receipt of the vertical output shaft worm gear reducer
for the central manure slurry tank mixer, it was December, 1968, before
the mixer turbine drive and high pressure chopper pump could be installed,
wired, and ready for operation. The lines to transport manure slurry to
the anaerobic storage lagoons were purposely being delayed at that time
while causes of PVC line failures were being investigated. The manure
slurry transport line from the new barn was ready for use, however, as
was the piping to the field distribution system. The central manure
slurry tank was filled with water to a depth of 7 feet to test^the mixer
and pump. Both the mixer and the pump appeared to perform satisfac-
torily. Subsequent operation with actual manure slurries, however,
revealed that the mixer or agitator was not capable of resuspending
deposits of heavy solids that settled out of the manure slurry. It was
necessary to supplement the agitation of the turbine with a pair of 1/2-
inch diameter hydraulic nozzles mounted near the bottom perimeter of the
central manure slurry tank. These nozzles were installed on opposite
sides of the central manure slurry tank and directed to oppose the
rotational flow established by the turbine agitator.
The flow to the above nozzles was taken from the valved discharge of
the high pressure chopper pump. The piping was valved so that either
nozzle could be selected or both nozzles could be turned on simultaneously
The combination of the turbine and hydraulic agitation was capable of
resuspending all settled solids except for some coarse sand that found
its way into the manure slurry. Once resuspended, the turbine alone
could maintain the suspension.
Though only a relatively small amount of pip^ installation was needed
to start transferring manure slurry on to the storage lagoons, it was
felt that no more PVC pipe should be 'istalled until there was a better-
understanding of repeated serious failures and bteaks in already existing
PVC lines. Since this matter will be discussed in a subsequent section
of the report, it may suffice at this point to say that the breakage
was understood and the transfer piping completed to the first lagoon
in March, 1969- Manure slurry was applied on an adjacent field through
the field distribution system until such lagoon storage started in March.
A higher priority on other work prevented further development of the
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aerobic treatment facilities for some time. The chopper pump for the
deep withdrawal sump (see I tern 5, Figure 28, Page 99) had to be specif-
ically developed for the Project. A commercially available chopper
pump head, identical to the one used on the mobile chopper pump rig,
was purchased. This was then modified in the machine shops of the
College of Engineering at Washington State University to allow a ^tO-HP
motor at the top of the sump to drive the chopper pump at the bottom
using a 19-foot long totally enclosed, oil lubricated, vertical shaft.
The pump and motor were installed in June, 1969- Because of a defective
magnetic motor starter, it was necessary to use a direct manual switch
for operation of the pump during the first month in order to agitate
the contents of an aerobic lagoon and transfer the slurry back to the
central manure slurry tank for field application.
In November, 1969, work resumed on completion of the aerobic treatment
facilities. A steel bridge to span the 11 3/A-foot diameter of the
aeration basin was constructed. This was to support the surface turbine
aerator and drive assembly. A variable speed turbine drive assembly
which had been developed in the College of Engineering machine shops
was mounted on the bridge. It consisted of a 10:1 ratio vertical shaft
gear reducer which was belt driven through a variable speed pulley by
a 2-HP electric motor. This provided an available speed range of 70 to
210 RPM for the turbine shaft. The elevation of the 8-bladed, 2^-inch
diameter turbine could be changed by raising or lowering it on the
vertical turbine shaft. This permitted optimum aeration as the liquid
level, and therefore the mixed liquor volume, was changed by adjustment
of an overflow weir that discharged the mixed liquor flow to the final
clari fier.
A raw feed line was installed to convey liquid from the bottom of the
equalization tank to the suction side of two parallel feed pumps.
Initially, two flexible-impeller vane-type pumps with variable speed
pulley drives were installed as feed pumps. These pumps subsequently
proved not to be reliable in self-priming and were replaced by more
conventional centrifugal pumps. The feed pumps were piped to a constant
level feed tank. All excess flow was piped back to a nozzle discharge
in the equalization tank to prevent sedimentation or stratification in
that tank. The rate of feed from the constant head tank to the activated
sludge aeration basin was adjusted or regulated by a gate valve in the
feed line. The suction pumps, constant head feed tank, and regulating
valve were placed in a small wooden building which also housed the
manual disconnects and magnetic contactors for all motors of the aerobic
treatment facilities, the central manure slurry tank agitator, the high
pressure chopper pump, and the deep sump pump. The sludge scraper
assembly and drive shaft for the final clarifier was installed and
coupled to a common drive which operated both the scraper and a
diaphragm-type activated sludge return pump. The scraper was then used
to screed in a concrete grout bottom for the final clarifier. The
effluent weirs and influent stilling well were then installed. A clari-
fier effluent line was then installed to convey the treated effluent.to
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the effluent storage lagoon. The electrical wiring to the turbine drive,
the final clarifier drive, and the feed pumps was accomplished on
January 14, 1970, to render the aerobic treatment facilities ready for
operat ion.
FIELD DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
The layout planning and staking for the field distribution system was
established in November, 1967, according to the arrangement shown in
Figure 29 on page 106. Floating debris during flooding in December
removed or disrupted most of the stakes. The line and valve locations
and grades were reestablished in June, 1968. The necessary PVC pipe
and 3-way plug valves for the system did not start arriving until April,
1968.
A wheel-type trencher was brought in on June 9, 1968, to excavate for
the pipe installation. Only 11 hours were required to excavate the
necessary 3,500 lineal feet of trench. The trencher was able to cut a
24-inch wide trench to a precise continuous grade line varying from 40
to 48 inches below the uneven ground surface. The resulting ditch had
a semicircular smooth bottom in the si1ty soil which simplified place-
ment and bedding of the pipe.
The PVC pipe (1,830 feet of 5-inch and 1,670 feet of 4-inch) had^an
integrally formed bell on each length for a solvent-weld joint with the
downstream end of the preceding length. PVC reducers and flanges were
used to adapt to 3-way plug valves at each riser or take-off station
and at the point where the line branched at the southwest corner of
field E. (See Figure 29, page 106). All five of the 3~way plug valves
were 4-inch diameter valves except for the first riser station where a
6-inch valve was used.
A cast iron flange, threaded for 4-inch pipe, was attached to the side
port of the 3-way plug valve at each riser station. A close nipple and
elbow from this flange provided for a vertical steel riser pipe extend-
ing above the ground surface where a quick-coupling connection for 4-
inch aluminum irrigation pipe was installed. The quick-coupling also
permitted the aluminum surface string of pipe to be swivelled to extend
in any horizontal direction. For valve protection and valve-key oper-
ation, a section of 8-inch diameter concrete Sewer pipe was installed
over each plug valve.
The upstream end of the field distribution system was connected to a
6-inch 3-way plug valve in the line from the high pressure chopper
pump. This valve could be set to discharge either to the field distri-
bution system or to the anaerobic storage lagoons.
Both 4-inch diameter irrigation pipe without nozzle headers and 3-inch
diameter pipe with conventional rotating impulse irrigation nozzles
were purchased. The 4-inch aluminum pipe provided for conveying manure
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slurry to the manure "gun" while the 3~inch pipe and nozzles provided
for conventional irrigation of crops. This provision allowed for the
application of an amount of water to control plots to match the water
applied in manure slurries. In this manner, it was felt that the crop
response to manure nutrients could be identified separately from any
beneficial crop response to the water content of the manure slurries.
The manure "gun" was described earlier on page 107- The overall field
distribution system was completed in August, 1968, but it was December,
1968, before the high pressure chopper pump and central manure slurry
tank were completed to allow testing of the installation. One solvent-
welded joint failed during the first hour of operation using water
rather than-manure slurry. No further pipe or joint failures developed
in the underground pipe system. Occasionally, the connecting latch
joining sections of aluminum pipe for surface distribution would slip
allowing the pipe joint to come apart. This did not result in any
serious damage except possibly to the appearance or pride of anyone in
the immediate vicinity.
LABORATORY-OFFICE BUILDING
It was mid-September before detailed plans could be developed and approved
for the addition to the existing Farm Office building. The necessary
concrete blocks, windows, doors, plumbing materials and fixtures, heating
and lighting fixtures, and other miscellaneous items were then ordered.
Actual construction started with layout staking on September 21, 1967,
and with the installation of the septic tank and drain field to serve
the add!tion.
The foundations, floor slab, concrete block walls, interior wall framing,
roof joists, and roofing were completed by mid-October. The window
assemblies were not received until November, however, to complete the
"closing-up" of the building. Interior finishing could then get under-
way.
The necessary electrical space heaters and light fixtures were slow to
arrive. Also, all electrical contractors in the region were already
committed to more work than they could handle on schedule with the
result that it was mid-December before much wiring was installed. The
installation of some office lighting and heating fixtures was not com-
pleted before mid-January, 1968.
The laboratory benches, sinks, and cabinets were sufficiently complete
by January to permit the laboratory equipment and supply vendors to
start shipments on orders. It was soon discovered that the river bottom
soil profiles were such that vibrations from trucks on the county road
(75 feet away) would disturb the analytical balance. A special heavy
concrete pillar mounted on a vibration damping pad was built to support
the balance.
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Both the Project office space and the laboratory were essentially com-
plete and usable by the end of January, 1968. Installation of labora-
tory equipment items such as the Kjeldahl digestion-distillation
apparatus, a constant temperature water bath for BOD tests, an auto-
clave, a small still, and other Installed equipment was accomplished
on an as-time-permits basis and were not completed until about July,
1968.
MISCELLANEOUS CONSTRUCTION
Several items of construction were involved that were either general in
nature or that did not relate specifically to any single major aspect
of the Project. This included some minor fencing, extension of the
electrical power lines to serve the new pumps and treatment facilities,
yard and barn lighting, and some minor relocation of roadways. These
tasks did not represent a significant construction involvement nor did
they present serious problems. One effort, however, that presented a
long series of most significant problems was the extension of water
service 1ines.
The farm water supply system consisted of a turbine-pump equipped well
near the farm office and an elevated reservoir located approximately
1/2 mile away on the sloping valley wall. The reservoir "floated" on
the farm distribution system providing about 200 to 250 feet of head
at the various farm buildings depending upon whether the well pump was
running or not and also depending upon the rate of water usage. The
distribution piping was mostly composed of steel pipe with some sections
of asbestos cement pipe. There was no existing water service immediately
adjacent to the new barn structure that could provide water in sufficient
quantity for livestock watering, flushing purposes, or fire protection.
After considering several possibilities, it was decided that the
existing water mains should be tapped near the farm office and again
near the milk processing plant. A high pressure supply loop would be
extended from the first mentioned tap, south across the county road
and along the full length of the east side of the new barn, then along
the south side of the existing farm buildings, and then back to the
second tap near the milk processing plant. Since pressures were not
excessive and the possibility of severe water hammer impulses were
considered remote; 4-inch diameter, 200 psi r^ted, PVC pipe with
solvent-weld fittings were selected for the loop with the exception
of the two road crossings. PVC piping was also selected for extending
service lines into the new barn and to other points of need.
Based upon the ease and speed of Installation, the choice of PVC lines
and fittings seemed wise Indeed, at first. No one involved in the
Project, however, had previous experience In making PVC joints, but
all accepted the idea that one advantage of PVC piping was the ease
and simplicity of PVC plumbing. The necessary materials for essentially
all Project piping needs were ordered at one time including needs for
the distribution loop, all water service and slurry lines in the new
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barn, the field distribution system, and lines for the storage and
treatment facilities. Both PVC joint cleaner and cement were also
Included in the order. Joint making instructions, provided with.the
joint cement and solvent, suggested that the outer surface of the male
end and the inner surface of the famale end at each joint should be
"cleaned" with the joint cleaner before applying the joint cement and
joining the two elements. All of the pipe and fittings were from new
shipments and appeared to be extremely clean. In making joints, the
appropriate surfaces were lightly wiped with a cloth dampened with the
cleaner. The joint cement was then applied and allowed to stand
unjointed for a few seconds. Then the joint was pressed together,
rotated slightly, and held firmly in place. This all appeared to be
in compliance with the Instruction as provided by the vendors.
By mid-July, 1968, some minor joint separations had occurred, but a
serious problem of pipe failure was not yet apparent. A major break
occurred in the high pressure supply loop along the east side of the
new barn in late July. In August, 1968, the supply loop ruptured close
to the area where the equalization tank and activated sludge aeration
basins were under construction. This not only disrupted water service
but also caused a significant set-back in construction of those facil-
ities. A third major break In the supply loop developed along the east
side of the new barn in September and the supply line under the concrete
alley floor of the new barn also failed.
The vendors of both the PVC pipe and the cleaning and jointing solvents
were contacted. They expressed the belief that the joints were failing
because: (1) the jointing cement was not being applied uniformly, (2)
the joined pieces were not being rotated after being "stabbed" together,
or (3) bedding and backfilling for the pipes were not being done properly
They did provide a different brand of cement for further PVC pipe work.
Failure of PVC joints continued. In December, 1968, still another
failure occurred under the alleyway floor slab in the new barn. Again
it was necessary to break out concrete in order to make repairs. It
was obvious that something had to be done or the Project crew would be
spending full time on repairs, leaving no time for further construction
or for Project operations.
A meeting between the pipe vendors, the solvent vendors, the Washington
State University purchasing agent, the Project Director and Co-Director,
and the Resident Project Engineer was held on December 19, 1968. In the
course of the discussion, it was learned that the joint cleaner was
possibly mis-named. The "cleaner" was actually intended as a surface
softening or preparation solvent as well as a cleaner. While the con-
struction crew had been carefully wiping the matching surfaces of joints
with a "cleaner-dampened" cloth, the vendors Indicated that the surfaces
should be liberally wetted or saturated with the cleaner. The matching
surfaces should then be allowed to stand for a moment to soften before
applying the cement that would solvent-weld the surfaces.
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Test joints were made following the more explicit instructions. These
joints were than sawed open and examined to reveal a much more continuous
and vastly superior bond or solvent-weld.
Eventually, confidence In the PVC piping was restored to the point that
the lines conveying manure slurry to and from the anaerobic storage
lagoons and additional piping for subsequent pens in the new barn could
proceed. It is unfortunate that such a high price had to be paid for a
small bit of knowledge. No PVC joint formed subsequent to that meeting
failed by virtue of joint slippage or bond failure. Records of man-
• hours of effort expended and materials costs for pipe repairs were not
maintained, but it is estimated that pipeline repairs probably cost
about twice as much as the initial installation of the pipe systems.
Another construction item not discussed elsewhere and not included in
the discussion of Project Planning and Design was the development of a
shallow well in the area :>f the storage and treatment facilities. While
construction of the central manure slurry tank and treatment facilities
was underway, it was recognized that a significant amo.unt of water would
probably be needed. This water would be needed for: (1) flushing
residual solids from the field distribution system lines, (2) for
flushing solids off of growing vegetation after applications of manure
slurry, and (3) for applying matching amounts of manure-free water to
control plots so that it would be possible to differentiate between
crop response attributable to nanure nutrients and crop response attrib-
utable to the carriage water in applied manure slurries.
A 32-inch diameter by 30-foot long by 3/8-inch wall thickness section
of used steel pipe was pirchased from a salvage yard. Fifty-six liieal
feet of 1/2-inch wide sk-ts were cut out in the bottom 7 feet of ths
pipe. A drag line and clam shell bucket were used to excavate a hole
into which the homemade veil casing was then installed. The hole was
then backfilled with cle;m gravel to complete the shallow well.
Though a permanent pump nstallation was never made, the well was
tested for capacity in August, 1968. The suction hose of a gasoline
engine powered dredge punp was lowered into the water level approx-
imately 16 feet below ground level. During approximately 90 minute.s
of operation at ^50 gallons per minute, a steady-state drawdown of
less than ^ feet was observed.
Unfortunately, other Project construction or operation needs always
continued to be more pressing or irore urgent than installation of a
well pump. Such installation was never accomplished. Such water as
was needed for the above mentioned purposes continued to be drawn from
the high pressure farm supply system.
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