EPA-660/2-74-062
DECEMBER 1974
Environmental Protection Technology Series
Feasibility of Overland-Flow
Treatment of Feedlot Runoff
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National Environmental Research Center
Office of Research and Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
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RESEARCH REPORTING SERIES
Research reports of the Office of Research and Development,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, have been grouped into
five series. These five broad categories were established to
facilitate further development and application of environmental
technology. Elimination of traditional grouping was consciously
planned to foster technology transfer and a maximum interface in
related fields. The five series are:
1. Environmental Health Effects Research
2. Environmental Protection Technology
3. Ecological Research
4. Environmental Monitoring
5. Socioeconomic Environmental Studies
This report has been assigned to the ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
TECHNOLOGY STUDIES series. This series describes research
performed to develop and demonstrate instrumentation, equipment
and methodology to repair or prevent environmental degradation from
point and non-point sources of pollution. This work provides the
new or improved technology required for the control and treatment
of pollution sources to meet environmental quality standards.
This report has been reviewed by the National Environmental
Research Center—Corvallis, and approved for publication. Mention
of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement
or recommendation for use.
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EPA-660/2-74-062
December 1974
FEASIBILITY OF OVERLAND-FLOW TREATMENT OF FEEDLOT RUNOFF
by
Richard E. Thomas
Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory
Ada, Oklahoma 74820
Project 16080 WNU
Program Element 1BB045
ROAP 21-ASH/Task 004
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
CORVALLIS, OREGON 97330
For Tale by tEr"SuP-"ntendent ot uocuments, U.S. Government Printing OAce
Washington. D.C. 20402 - Stock No. 5501-00974
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ABSTRACT
A three-phase study was initiated to explore the practicality of adapting
the overland-flow approach to treatment of runoff from cattle feedlots. A
six-month period of pilot-scale experiments to determine the feasibility
of the concept was to be followed by field experiments to develop loading
rate information and demonstration projects to verify the utility of the
approach. This report covers the six-month period of pilot-scale
experiments and six months of data collection at one field experiment.
The pilot-scale studies were conducted on plots which were 6-feet by
30-feet with a 4.5 percent slope. These studies indicated that: (1)
loadings of 2 to 3 inches per week were suitable for field testing, (2)
the weekly load should be applied in fractional increments at daily to
three times per week frequencies, and (3) instantaneous spray rates
should be less than 0.10 inch per hour.
The field studies covered in this report were initiated at a 12,000-head
capacity feedlot and utilized a four-component train for runoff collection
and treatment. The treatment train included collection lagoons, a storage
reservoir, the overland-flow area, and a final polishing pond. Data
from the short period of operation (six months) corroborated the results
of the pilot-scale study and indicated that inclusion of the final polishing
pond substantially improved the overall performance.
This report was submitted in fulfillment of Project Number 16080 WNU,
by the Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory under the
sponsorship of the Environmental Protection Agency. Work was completed
as of June 1973.
11
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CONTENTS
Sections
I CONCLUSIONS 1
II RECOMMENDATIONS 2
III INTRODUCTION 3
IV EXPERIMENTAL METHODS 5
V OPERATIONAL AND EVALUATION PHASES 8
VI DISCUSSION 21
VII REFERENCES 23
VIII APPENDIXES 24
APPENDIX A 25
APPENDIX B 26
APPENDIX C 27
APPENDIX D 28
iii
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TABLES
No. Page
1 QUALITY OF FEEDLOT RUNOFF—PILOT STUDY 9
2 TREATMENT EFFICIENCY FOR 3.0 INCHES PER WEEK
LOADING APPLIED IN THREE EQUAL FRACTIONS AT
0.15 INCH PER HOUR 10
3 TREATMENT EFFICIENCY FOR 2.5 INCHES PER WEEK
LOADING APPLIED IN THREE EQUAL FRACTIONS AT
VARYING RATES 11
4 TREATMENT EFFICIENCY FOR 2.5 INCHES PER WEEK
LOADING APPLIED IN SEVEN EQUAL FRACTIONS AT
VARYING RATES 13
5 MONTHLY PRECIPITATION, WASTEWATER APPLICATIONS,
AND RUNOFF DATA, ACRE-FEET 14
6 AVERAGE POLLUTION PARAMETER QUALITY DATA
ON SIX TO FIFTEEN SAMPLING DATES 16
7 TIME-RELATED QUALITY CHANGES AT THE FARM POND
DISCHARGE 18
8 MASS REMOVAL PERCENTAGES FOR THE OVERLAND-
FLOW AND FARM POND COMPONENTS OF THE
TREATMENT TRAIN 19
IV
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Personnel of Meat Producers, Inc., owners and operators of the feedlot,
provided on-site management and operation of the distribution systems
for the overland-flow area at the field study site. Everett Reeves,
owner and operator of a small feedlot near Ada, Oklahoma generously
provided a site for the pilot study.
Lowell C. Penrod, Kenneth F. Jackson, Curtis V. Gillaspy, and Robert L.
Smith of the Robert S . Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory staff
carried the major burden of sample collection and analysis for both
phases of the project.
v
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SECTION I
CONCLUSIONS
The results of a six-month pilot-scale study indicated that the overland-
flow method of treatment has potential for treatment of feedlot runoff.
Liquid loadings of 2 to 3 inches per week applied at instantaneous
loading rates of less than 0.08 inch per hour appeared suitable for field
testing with dosing frequencies in the range of daily to three times per
week.
The results of a six-month field test supported the conclusion that the
overland-flow method of treatment has potential for treatment of feedlot
runoff under humid, subtropical climatic conditions.
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SECTION II
RECOMMENDATIONS
The results of the pilot-scale evaluation and the abbreviated field test
conducted in this study should be utilized to implement several field
tests which will verify the practicality of the overland-flow method for
treatment of feedlot runoff. These field tests should be conducted at
several locations which are representative of climatic conditions
encompassing the major areas of beef production in the United States.
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SECTION III
INTRODUCTION
GENERAL
This study was initiated to evaluate the practicality of using overland
flow for treatment of runoff from beef cattle feedlots in warm, subhumid
regions. This runoff needs to be retained and treated before it can be
released to surface watercourses without serious pollutional effects.
BACKGROUND
Confinement feeding of beef cattle has increased rapidly in the Plains
States, and rainfall runoff from feedlots has been identified as a major
cause of fish kills in this area. Runoff from feedlots frequently contains
high concentrations of suspended solids, organics which create bio-
2
chemical oxygen demand, and nutrients which accelerate eutrophication.
Retention and treatment of this runoff at cattle feedlots located in this
subhumid area of the Plains States are major problems.
Application of wastewater to the land for reuse or treatment can be an
efficient and economical management approach when land is readily
available, as it is in the vicinity of many feedlot operations. One method
of land based wastewater management which has been used successfully
is the overland-flow approach for treatment. Overland flow operates
successfully under intermittent or continuous use. The system can be
managed to achieve efficient removal of suspended solids, biochemical
4
oxygen demand, and nutrients from concentrated wastewaters. Success-
ful use to date has been with wastewaters from other sources, but the
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major contaminants were similar to those found in runoff from cattle
feedlots. Adaptation of the overland approach to runoff from cattle
feedlots would provide the cattle feeding industry with a new tool for
combating a serious problem.
SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES
This study of the overland-flow treatment of feedlot runoff is being con-
ducted in three phases. The purpose of the three-phase approach was
to address the theoretical approach in stages with decision-making
milestones at the completion of each stage or phase. The first phase of
the study was a six-month series of pilot-scale experiments to determine
the feasibility of adapting the overland-flow approach to treatment of
feedlot runoff. The primary objective for this phase of the study was to
make a quick and qualitative evaluation of several system designs.
Favorable results from this phase would lead to initiation of the second
phase of the study. The second phase of the study would be the opera-
tion of a large-scale experimental system at a commercial feedlot. The
objective of this phase was to field test three or four of the most promising
designs evaluated during the pilot-scale study. The field tests were to
be followed by a several-year demonstration of the best system design.
This report covers the six-month series of pilot-scale studies and the
first six months of data collection for one field experiment.
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SECTION IV
EXPERIMENTAL METHODS
The pilot-scale studies were conducted during the winter of 1969 and
1970 at a feedlot located near the Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research
Laboratory, Ada, Oklahoma. The field tests were conducted during the
winter of 1970 and 1971 at a 12,000-head capacity feedlot located in north
central Texas.
PILOT-SCALE STUDIES
The pilot-scale studies were conducted on a loam soil with a slope of 4.5
percent. An experimental area measuring 18-feet by 30-feet was bordered
with lawn edging to exclude extraneous surface runoff. The experimental
area was divided into three plots measuring 6-feet by 30-feet, and a small
weir was installed at the lower end of each plot for collection of runoff
samples. The native vegetation of mixed grasses was not disturbed
during the preparation of the experimental area.
Runoff from the feedlot was collected and stored in a sump prior to appli-
cation to the experimental area. The wastewater was pumped from this
sump to the overland flow plots through a fully automated sprinkler
application system which could be adjusted over a wide range of oper-
ating conditions. The wastewater was applied independently to each of
the three experimental plots through a single fixed nozzle which covered
a four-foot diameter circle at the upper end of the plot. Samples of the
wastewater applied to the plots and samples of the runoff from each of
the three plots were collected at 7- to 14-day intervals throughout the
study period.
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FIELD TESTS
The field tests were conducted on an Austin silty clay with a natural
slope of 3 to 5 percent. An experimental area of eight acres was divided
into two areas with terraces at a spacing of about 250 feet. Additional
earthwork was conducted to exclude extraneous runoff and to permit
operation of four separate experimental plots of about two acres each.
The rainfall runoff from the 33 acres of cattle pens was collected initially
in four lagoons with a combined surface area of about 22 acres. After a
variable period of settling in these lagoons, the collected runoff was
pumped into a newly constructed reservoir for storage until it was
pumped to the overland-flow area. Distribution to the overland-flow
area was achieved through a fully automated sprinkler system equipped
with rotating impact nozzles. The distribution system was designed to
permit operation of the four experimental areas at different loadings and
different frequencies of application. Runoff from the overland-flow areas
was measured continuously with Stevens A-35 stage recorders installed
on H-flumes and then directed into an existing farm pond with a storage
capacity of about 4.5 acre-feet below the spillway. Discharge from the
farm pond was measured continuously with a Stevens F-l stage recorder
installed on a 150 degree V-notch weir. Precipitation at the project site
was measured with a weighing, continuous recording rain gauge. The
layout of the treatment train at the field site is shown in Figure 1 and
includes the stations at which liquid samples were collected for analysis.
Water samples collected during the pilot-scale study and the field tests
were analyzed for pH, conductivity, total suspended solids, chemical
oxygen demand, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon,
total phosphorus, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and nitrite nitrogen
according to Environmental Protection Agency Methods. Kjeldahl nitro-
7
gen was analyzed by Technicon Auto Analyzer Methodology which has
been checked against the Environmental Protection Agency Methods.
Samples collected during the field tests were also tested for algal
Q
productivity using the Environmental Protection Agency Method.
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LOCATION
Storage
Reservoir
Diversion
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SECTION V
OPERATIONAL AND EVALUATION PHASES
The use of short-term, pilot-scale studies was selected as an efficient
approach to develop and demonstrate a substantially new application of
the spray-runoff approach for land treatment of a wastewater. The pilot-
scale studies would provide a quick evaluation of many operational
arrangements, and the best of these would be given a much more thorough
evaluation during the field test.
PILOT-SCALE STUDIES
The initial two-month period of study was used to evaluate loadings of
1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 inches per week while holding the rate and frequency
of application constant. A second two-month period was used to evaluate
the effect of different application rates while keeping the loading and
frequency of application constant. The final two-month period was used
to evaluate further changes in the rate of application and more frequent
applications. Nine design and operational combinations were evaluated
during the six-month pilot study. The weekly loadings tested ranged
from 1.0 inch per week to 3.0 inches per week; application frequencies
tested were 3 and 7 times per week; and the rate of application during
the spray period ranged from 0.036 to 0.15 inch per hour.
The feedlot runoff being applied to the experimental plots was sampled
nine times during the pilot study. The results of the analyses run on
these samples are tabulated in Table 1. The minimum and maximum
values show that the quality of the feedlot runoff being applied to the
experimental plots was quite variable. Maximum concentrations for
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Table 1. QUALITY OF FEEDLOT RUNOFF—PILOT STUDY
Parameter
pH
Conductivity , y mhos
Minimum
7.2
2,200
Maximum
8.3
4,500 3
Mean
7.7 (median)
,300
(Concentration, mg/liter)
Total Suspended Solids
Chemical Oxygen Demand
Total Organic Carbon
Total Phosphorus
Total Nitrogen
Kjeldahl nitrogen
Ammonia nitrogen
Nitrate nitrogen
Nitrite nitrogen
64
790
250
18
43
42
10
<0.05
<0.05
1,059
2,350 1
820
42
162
160
51
3.4
1.8
390
,400
440
28
86
85
29
0.5
0.4
several of the parameters were more than three times greater than the
minimum values. This variation in the quality of the feedlot runoff can
be attributed to differences in the quality of runoff from individual
runoff events and to changes which occurred as the collected runoff
was standing in the sump between runoff events. The quality data in
Table 1 are for a small capacity drain and fill sump and may not be
representative of the quality of runoff which would be retained in large
capacity holding lagoons.
The initial plot trial was designed to evaluate weekly loadings of 1.0,
2.0, and 3.0 inches per week while holding the rate and frequency of
application constant. The rate of application was 0.15 inch per hour,
and increments equal to one-third of the weekly load were applied on
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays . The results of this trial showed
that the 1.0 and 2.0 inches per week loadings did not produce any runoff
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from the experimental plots . The treatment achieved for the 3.0 inches
per week loading is presented in Table 2. The concentration of most
constituents was not reduced or was only slightly reduced by the
overland-flow process . The treatment efficiency did not approach
desirable levels, and it was evident that this mode of operation had little
potential for field testing .
A second plot trial was initiated to evaluate rates of application of 0. 05,
0.075, and 0.10 inch per hour while holding the weekly load and fre-
quency of application constant. The weekly load chosen was 2.5 inches
per week and the frequency of application was the same three-times-per-
week schedule used in the initial trial. The results of the second pilot-
scale trial showed that a loading of 2.5 inches per week would produce
runoff for each of the selected rates of application under the selected
conditions of operation. The treatment achieved for this trial is
summarized in Table 3. The treatment efficiencies were somewhat
better than for the first trial, and data were obtained for qualitative
Table 2 . TREATMENT EFFICIENCY FOR 3. 0 INCHES PER WEEK LOADING
APPLIED IN THREE EQUAL FRACTIONS AT 0.15 INCH PER HOUR
Parameter, mg/1
Total Suspended Solids
Chemical Oxygen Demand
Total Organic Carbon
Total Phosphorus
Total Nitrogen
Kjeldahl nitrogen
Ammonia nitrogen
Nitrate nitrogen
Nitrite nitrogen
Applied
feedlot
runoff
90
1,297
291
19.0
50.7
50
17
0.1
0.6
Plot runoff
Concentration %
103
1,025
248
18.7
44.9
39
9.8
5.0
0.1
Reduction
0
21
15
2
11
22
42
0
83
10
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Table 3. TREATMENT EFFICIENCY FOR 2.5 INCHES PER WEEK LOADING
APPLIED IN THREE EQUAL FRACTIONS AT VARYING RATES
Plot runoff from
Parameter, mg/1
Total Suspended Solids
Chemical Oxygen Demand
Total Organic Carbon
Total Phosphorus
Total Nitrogen
Kjeldahl nitrogen
Ammonia nitrogen
Nitrate nitrogen
Nitrite nitrogen
Applied
feedlot
runoff
556
1,586
554
34
112.1
111
38
0.8
0.3
0.05 in
loading
Cone.
444
1,376
478
30
75.9
75
14
0.7
0.2
./hr.
rate
%Red.
20
13
14
12
32
32
63
12
33
0.075 in./hr.
loading rate
Cone .
331
1,188
388
23.5
63.1
60
10
2.8
0.3
%Red.
40
25
30
31
44
46
74
-
0
0.10 in.
loading
Cone.
349
1,260
462
25.4
82.4
80
12
2.0
0.4
/hr.
rate
%Red.
37
21
17
25
26
28
68
-
-
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comparison of the three rates of application. Suspended solids and
chemical oxygen demand removals were similar for the 0.075 and 0.10
inch per hour rates while removal of these components was substantially
less for the 0.05 inch per hour application rate. The 0.075 inch per
hour application rate was somewhat better than the other two rates
for the remainder of the parameters. Overall, an application rate of
0.075 inch per hour gave the best treatment for a weekly loading of 2.5
inches applied in three equal fractions on Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays.
A third and final plot trial was designed to test even lower rates of
application by dividing the 2.5 inches per week loading into daily incre-
ments. The rates of loading tested in this trial were 0.036, 0.045, and
0.060 inch per hour, and results of the trial are summarized in Table 4.
Treatment efficiencies were better than for either of the previous trials
and were surprisingly good for such a short duration test on small plots.
The intermediate rate of 0.045 inch per hour performed somewhat better
for removal of chemical oxygen demand, organic carbon, and phosphorus;
otherwise, performance was similar for all three application rates.
FIELD TESTS
The field tests were intended to run for a period of two years and to
provide for comparison of four operational approaches involving differ-
ent weekly loads and rates of application at a frequency of three appli-
cations per week. The actual period of field testing lasted only six
months from October 1970 through March 1971, when it became necessary
to terminate the study. No attempt will be made to separate the results
for different loadings and rates of application for this short test period,
and the data collected will be combined to show the overall treatment
achieved by the overland flow and farm pond segments of the treatment
system.
Water Balance Data
During the brief period of the field study, a total of 20.2 acre-feet of
feedlot runoff was applied to the overland-flow area. Rainfall added an
12
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Table 4. TREATMENT EFFICIENCY FOR 2.5 INCHES PER WEEK LOADING
APPLIED IN SEVEN EQUAL FRACTIONS AT VARYING RATES
Plot runoff from
Parameter, mg/1
Total Suspended Solids
Chemical Oxygen Demand
Total Organic Carbon
Total Phosphorus
Total Nitrogen
Kjeldahl nitrogen
Ammonia nitrogen
Nitrate nitrogen
Nitrite nitrogen
Applied
feedlot
runoff
460
786
300
24.9
62.5
62.0
19.5
0.3
0.2
0.060 in./hr.
loading rate
Cone.
184
575
205
19.2
24.9
24.0
1.0
0.2
0.7
%Red.
60
27
32
23
60
61
95
33
-
0.045 in./hr.
loading rate
Cone.
188
537
160
14.7
23.4
23.0
1.5
0.2
0.2
%Red.
59
32
47
41
63
63
92
33
-
0.036 in./hr.
loading rate
Cone .
192
630
225
17.6
24.6
24.0
2.0
0.2
0.4
%Red.
58
20
25
29
60
61
90
33
-
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additional 4.2 acre-feet of loading to make a total loading of 24.4 acre-
feet of liquid to the overland-flow area. Evaporative losses and some
deep percolation resulted in about 60 percent of the applied wastewater
being lost on the overland-flow area, and only 9.0 acre-feet of liquid
was discharged from the overland-flow area to the farm pond. Addi-
tional evaporative and seepage losses very likely occurred in the farm
pond, but the discharge from the farm pond was 9.6 acre-feet due to an
undetermined amount of surface runoff from other sources entering the
farm pond. Monthly data for rainfall, wastewater applications, and the
two points of runoff measurement are summarized in Table 5. These
data will be combined with chemical quality data in a subsequent section
to show the treatment efficiency in terms of mass removals.
Chemical Quality Data
Chemical quality data were collected at four points in the treatment train.
These points were the collecting lagoon, the newly constructed holding
lagoon, the combined runoff from the overland-flow area, and the dis-
charge weir of the farm pond. The major points of interest for this study
Table 5. MONTHLY PRECIPITATION, WASTEWATER APPLICATIONS,
AND RUNOFF DATA, ACRE-FEET
Applied to overland-flow area
Month
October
November
December
January
February
Total
Precipitation
1.5
0.3
0.6
0,7
1.1
4.2
Feedlot
runoff
5.4
5.3
4.0
2.0
3.5
20.2
Total
6.9
5.6
4.6
2.7
4.6
24.4
Runoff
overland
flow
0.6
1.5
3.5
1.6
1.8
9.0
Discharge
from farm
pond
0.3
1.2
3.3
2.2
2.6
9.6
14
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were the holding lagoon (the liquid being applied to the overland-flow
system) , runoff from the overland-flow area, and the discharge weir of
the farm pond (final effluent from treatment train). The average chemical
quality at the four sampling stations is presented in Table 6. The quality
of feedlot runoff in the collecting lagoons did not exhibit any definite
trend of quality change during the six-month study period, as is shown
by the data in Appendix A, There was a substantial change in quality
upon pumping the liquid from the collecting lagoons to the newly con-
structed holding lagoon. The apparent increase in total dissolved solids
upon pumping the liquid from the collecting lagoons to the holding lagoon
is an artifact of data collection. The holding lagoon was filled in late
September with feedlot runoff which had been stored in the collecting
lagoons for up to a year. As is shown by the data in Appendix A and
Appendix B, this charge of wastewater had a total dissolved solids con-
tent greater than that of the feedlot runoff accumulating in the runoff
lagoons during the study. The total dissolved solids of the second
charge to the holding lagoon (pumped in early January) was comparable
to the total dissolved solids content of the collecting lagoons. The quality
changes effected by the overland-flow area are modest, but it should be
recognized that these quality changes were accompanied by evaporative
losses and soil percolation which reduced the quantity of liquid from the
24.4 acre-feet applied to 9.0 acre-feet which flowed into the farm pond.
This 63 percent reduction in the quantity of liquid flowing from the
overland-flow area into the farm pond represents a dramatic reduction in
mass loading of pollutants on the farm pond in relation to a direct dis-
charge to the pond. The substantial quality changes observed between
the overland-flow area and the farm pond discharge (changes in the farm
pond) are partly due to dilution by the undetermined amount of runoff
entering the farm pond from other sources in addition to metabolic con-
versions by life in the farm pond. The comparatively low total dissolved
solids content of the farm pond discharge is indicative of this dilution
effect.
15
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Table 6. AVERAGE POLLUTION PARAMETER QUALITY DATA
ON SIX TO FIFTEEN SAMPLING DATES
Pollution parameter , mg/1
Total Dissolved Solids
Total Suspended Solids
Chemical Oxygen Demand
Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Total Phosphate
Total Nitrogen
Collecting
lagoons
1,110
195
430
63
13.5
27.7
Holding
lagoon
1,400
104
350
28
4.0
15.4
Overland-
flow runoff
1,480
63
310
12
2.0
13.4
Farm pond
discharge
660
12
125
5
0.5
5.4
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The data summary presented in Table 6 does not show time-related changes
in quality, Operations at the feedlot and the short duration of the study
prevented observation of meaningful time-related quality changes at all
sampling points except for the farm pond discharge. Some time-related
quality changes for this sampling station are summarized in Table 7. The
total dissolved solids increased substantially for about 3 months and then
stabilized at about 60 percent of the total dissolved solids content of the
runoff coming from the overland runoff area. The suspended solids, total
phosphorus, and total nitrogen content of the farm pond discharge showed
similar time-related changes, but they did not show a steady increase with
increasing time of operation. It would obviously require a much longer
test period to observe meaningful changes for these parameters. The
chemical oxygen demand also exhibited an irregular pattern of changes,
but it did show a definite increase with time, as did the biochemical
oxygen demand. Although the biochemical oxygen demand did show a
definite increase with time, it appeared to be stabilizing at a value which
would be suitable for downstream release under very stringent regulatory
controls based on the 5-day biochemical oxygen demand test.
Mass Removal Data
A more representative presentation of the removals achieved by individual
components of the treatment train can be presented by combining the
water balance data and the chemical quality data to obtain mass removals.
This approach makes appropriate adjustments for the influence of evap-
orative losses, retention in the soil, losses to deep percolation, and
dilution from other runoff sources. The data used to produce Tables 5
and 6 have been combined into mass removal percentages in Table 8.
This evaluation shows that the overland-flow component of the treatment
system accounts for the major removal of constituents on a mass basis,
while the chemical changes and probable dilution which occurred in the
farm pond contributed substantially to achieving the overall removals in
the 80 to 90 percent range.
17
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Table 7. TIME-RELATED QUALITY CHANGES AT THE FARM POND DISCHARGE
oo
Parameter, mg /I
Total Dissolved Solids
Total Suspended Solids
Chemical Oxygen Demand
Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Total Phosphorus
Total Nitrogen
0
342
4
78
2
0.4
4.4
35
437
9
71
2
0.2
3.5
Days of system operation
63 97 107
477
9
92
2
0.2
3.6
848
16
149
5
1.0
6.7
832
7
166
5
0.5
6.3
127
780
4
134
6
0.4
5.1
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Table 8. MASS REMOVAL PERCENTAGES FOR THE OVERLAND-FLOW
AND FARM POND COMPONENTS OF THE TREATMENT TRAIN
Parameter
Total Dissolved Solids
Total Suspended Solids
Chemical Oxygen Demand
Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Total Phosphorus
Total Nitrogen
Overland-
flow area
73
59
71
77
78
67
Farm pond
9
30
12
13
12
19
Combined
82
89
83
90
90
86
Algal Productivity Tests
The algal assay procedure has been developed as a method for determining
the potential of a water to stimulate algal growth and hasten eutrophication.
This test was included in the field study to measure the before and after
treatment response because feedlot runoff is known to have a comparatively
high potential to stimulate algal growth. The liquid being sprayed on the
overland-flow area and the discharge from the farm pond (the end of the
treatment train) were the sampling points selected for the algal produc-
tivity tests . One test was conducted in December after 10.7 acre-feet of
feedlot runoff had been applied to the overland-flow area. The results
of the test for this sampling date were 100 growth units for the before
treatment sample and 18 growth units for the after treatment sample. The
combined effect of the overland-flow area and the small farm pond on the
water quality resulted in a decisively lower potential to stimulate algal
growth. A second test was run in February after an additional 9.5
acre-feet of feedlot runoff had been passed through the treatment system.
The results of the algal productivity test for samples taken on this date
were comparable to those for the previous sampling date. The results of
this test were 120 growth units for before treatment and 25 growth units
19
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for after treatment. The close agreement of the results for these two
sampling data suggests that the capability of the treatment train to
curtail the potential of the feedlot runoff to produce algal growth was
relatively stable.
20
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SECTION VI
DISCUSSION
The results of the pilot-scale study must be interpreted in proper per-
spective since the experimental procedures were selected specifically to
produce qualitative information quickly. Relatively low efficiencies were
anticipated because the length of the slope was about 15 percent of that
normally used for overland-flow and the duration of each trial was a small
fraction of the time a soil system needs to stabilize at its expected treat-
ment capability. In light of these experimental limitations, the removals
achieved in the pilot-scale study were very encouraging for development
of a successful system. The comparatively low removals for chemical
oxygen demand and total organic carbon were used as indicators that
verified the expected resistance of organics in the feedlot runoff to bio-
oxidation, and the field test area was designed with 250-foot terrace
spacing to provide a long residence time for the overland-How area. It
was anticipated that this spacing would provide sufficient time for
microbial oxidation of most of the resistant organics.
Just as the results of the pilot-scale study must be considered in relation
to the desire to achieve quick qualitative results, the field test results
presented in this report must also be considered in light of the short
duration of the test. The short duration of the field test is a distinct
disadvantage because the treatment system had not operated long enough
to approach a stable condition, and the results observed are only indica-
tive of what the overland-flow approach might achieve during a winter
season start-up with a feedlot runoff which had been stored for many
months prior to application to the overland-flow system. Behavior of
21
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an overland-flow system during this period is usually indicative of
long-term behavior although treatment efficiencies are somewhat lower
than those for long-term behavior. Regardless of the fact that other
overland-flow systems have shown improved treatment efficiencies after
a year or two of operation, establishment of the overland-flow approach
as a viable treatment alternative for management of feedlot runoff will
require long-term studies at several locations representing differing
climatic conditions.
22
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SECTION VII
REFERENCES
1. Loehr, R. C. Pollution Implications of Animal Wastes—A Forward
Oriented Review. U.S. Dept. Interior, Fed. Water Pollution Contr.
Admn., Ada, Oklahoma. Report No. 13040 07/68. July 1968.
175 p.
2. Miner, J. R., R. I. Upper, L. R. Fina, and J. W. Funk. Cattle
Feedlot Runoff—Its Nature and Variation. J. Water Pollut. Contr.
Fed. 38: 1582-1591, October 1966.
3. Luley, H. G. Spray Irrigation of Vegetable and Fruit Processing
Wastes. J. Water Pollut. Contr. Fed. 35: 1252-1261, October 1963.
4. Law, J. P., Jr ., R. E. Thomas and L. H. Myers. Cannery Waste-
water Treatment by High-Rate Spray on Grassland. J. Water Pollut.
Contr. Fed. 42:1621-1631, September 1970.
5. Field Manual for Research in Agricultural Hydrology. U.S. Dept.
Agr., Beltsville, Maryland. Handbook No, 224, September 1962.
215 p.
6. Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes. Environmental
Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio. EPA Report No. 16020—07/71,
July 1971. 312 p.
7. Technicon Auto-Analyzer Methodology, Industrial Method 29-69A.
Technicon Corporation, Tarrytown, New York. 1970. 3 p.
8. Algal Assay Procedure—Bottle Test, National Eutrophication
Research Program. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis,
Oregon. August 1971. 82 p.
23
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SECTION VIII
APPENDIXES
Appendix Page
A WATER QUALITY DATA FOR THE RUNOFF
COLLECTING LAGOONS 25
B WATER QUALITY DATA FOR THE NEWLY
CONSTRUCTED HOLDING LAGOON 26
C WATER QUALITY DATA FOR RUNOFF FROM
THE OVERLAND-FLOW AREA 27
D WATER QUALITY DATA FOR THE FARM POND
DISCHARGE 28
24
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Appendix A. WATER QUALITY DATA FOR
THE RUNOFF COLLECTING LAGOONS
Date
10-1-70
11-4-70
12-2-70
1-5-71
2-4-71
2-24-71
3-25-71
Mean
TDS
1,316
1,122
1,059
959
1,128
1,169
1,046
1,114
Parameter concentration ,
TSS COD BOD
174
107
216
267
174
136
292
195
620
314
386
396
403
298
569
426
165
15
23
-
65
31
80
63
mg/1
T-P
21.3
17.0
11.1
11.3
13.6
12.6
7.9
13.5
T-N
39.9
14.7
18.9
25.4
28.1
35.6
31.1
27.7
25
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Appendix B. WATER QUALITY DATA FOR THE
NEWLY CONSTRUCTED HOLDING LAGOON
Date
10-1-70
10-15-70
10-22-70
11-4-70
11-19-70
12-2-70
12-17-70
1-5-71
1-21-71
2-4-71
2-11-71
2-18-71
2-24-71
3-11-71
3-25-71
Mean
TDS
1,720
1,743
1,769
1,719
1,698
1,688
1,682
1,024
-
1,014
1,033
1,005
-
1,051
1,032
1,398
Parameter concentration,
TSS COD BOD
112
35
39
39
56
81
92
180
102
127
146
130
156
188
80
104
490
419
324
335
331
362
368
302
231
367
345
357
346
348
365
353
26
-
-
15
-
6
-
-
-
25
-
-
27
-
69
28
mg/1
T-P
2.8
3.1
3.3
3.1
2.8
3.7
3.7
7.0
5.4
4.6
4.4
4.6
3.6
3.4
4.0
4.0
T-N
26.6
15.8
16.3
13.7
13.0
15.2
21.5
15.5
12.8
11.5
12.9
15.0
12.5
11.5
17.2
15.4
26
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Appendix C. WATER QUALITY DATA FOR RUNOFF
FROM THE OVERLAND-FLOW AREA
Date
10-7-70
10-15-70
10-22-70
10-28-70
11-4-70
11-12-70
11-18-70
12-2-70
12-11-70
12-17-70
1-21-71
2-4-71
2-11-71
2-18-71
Mean
TDS
1,543
1,488
1,667
1,678
1,698
1,438
1,640
1,653
1,664
1,614
1,277
965
1,220
1,150
1,478
Parameter concentration, mg/1
TSS COD BOD T-P
4
32
46
34
46
38
41
73
93
60
104
124
-
124
63
333
302
306
308
312
322
320
318
300
329
253
281
-
291
306
0.7
0.8
1.0
0.9
12 1.2
1.4
1.2
10 1.4
1.6
2.1
3.1
14 2.7
4.8
4.4
12 2.0
T-N
15.0
12.9
13.6
13.8
13.4
14.2
14.0
12.4
14.2
14.1
13.0
10.2
-
14.1
13.4
27
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Appendix D. WATER QUALITY DATA FOR THE
FARM POND DISCHARGE
Date
10-1-70
11-4-70
12-2-70
1-5-71
2-4-71
2-24-71
3-25-71
Mean
Days of
operation TDS
0
35
63
97
107
127
158
-
342
437
477
848
832
780
874
656
Parameter concentration, mg/1
TSS COD BOD T-P T-N
10
19
11
24
8
6
6
12
78
71
92
149
166
134
183
125
2
2
2
5
5
6
12
5
0.4
0.2
0.2
1.0
0.5
0.4
1.0
0.5
4.4
3.5
3.6
6.7
6.3
5.1
8.0
5.4
28
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TECHNICAL REPORT DATA
(Please read Instructions on the reverse before completing)
1. REPORT NO.
EPA-660/2-74-062
3. RECIPIENT'S ACCESS! OI*NO.
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE
FEASIBILITY OF OVERLAND-FLOW TREATMENT OF
FEEDLOT RUNOFF
5. REPORT DATE
June 1974
6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE
7. AUTHOR(S)
Richard E. Thomas
8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NO.
9. PERFORMING ORG -\NIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS
Robert S . Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory
Post Office Box 1198
Ada, Oklahoma 74820
10. PROGRAM ELEMENT NO.
1BB045
11. CONTRACT/GRANT NO.
12. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Environmental Research Center
Office of Research and Development
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
13. TYPE OF REPORT AND PERIOD COVERED
Final 10/71 to 6/73
14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE
15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
16. ABSTRACT
This report covers six months of pilot-scale experiments and six months of data
collection at one field experiment.
The pilot-scale studies were conducted on plots which were 6-feet by 30-feet
with a 4.5 percent slope. These studies indicated that: (1) loadings of 2 to 3
inches per week were suitable for field testing, (2) the weekly load should be
applied in fractional increments at daily to three times per week frequencies,
and (3) instantaneous spray rates should be less than 0.10 inch per hour.
The field studies covered in this report were initiated at a 12, 000-head capacity
feedlot and utilized a four-component train for runoff collection and treatment.
The treatment train included collection lagoons, a storage reservoir, the overland-
flow area, and a final polishing pond. Data from the short period of operation
(six months) corroborated the results of the pilot-scale study and indicated that
inclusion of the final polishing pond substantially improved the overall performance.
7.
KEY WORDS AND DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
DESCRIPTORS
b.lDENTIFIERS/OPEN ENDED TERMS
c. COSATI Field/Group
Agricultural wastes
Waste treatment
Nitrogen cycle
Phosphorus cycle
Overland flow
02/03 Pri.
14/03 Sec.
8. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT
Release unlimited.
19, SECURITY CLASS (This Report)
21. NO. OF PAGES
28
20. SECURITY CLASS (Thispage)
22. PRICE
EPA Form 2220-1 (9-73)
U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1974-697-651 /63 REGION 10
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