LAND APPLICATION OF AGRICULTURAL WASTEWATER
C. B. Muchmore, Associate Professor
E. E. Cook, Associate Professor
Department of Thermal and Environmental Engineering
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, Illinois 62901
M. J. Battaglia. Engineer
Division of Public Water Supply
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Marion, Illinois 62959
INTRODUCTION
The need for developing low-cost methods of preventing water and ah pollution from
agricultural activities has been widely recognized [1,2]. The general concept of returning
agricultural wastes to the land, thus recycling the nutrients for utilization by subsequent
crops,is accepted as a desirable solution to the problems of pollution resulting from agricultural activities. Some of the major contributors to water and ah pollution have been
identified as livestock production facilities, particularly with the trend in recent years toward confinement feeding operations.
In Illinois, the responsibility for setting appropriate regulations to protect the quality
of the state's water and ah is vested in the Illinois Pollution Control Board, as dictated
by the requirements of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act of 1969.   The Board
conducted a series of hearings throughout the state in 1972-73 to obtain input on proposed
agriculture-related pollution regulations.   It was evident from the testimony presented at
those hearings that the agricultural community was greatly concerned with several aspects
of the proposed regulations, in particular the fear that excessive costs might be required
to meet the regulations in existing and planned livestock feeding facilities.   The regulations
were modified prior to adoption, reflecting the concerns expressed at the hearings [3].
It was with these concerns in mind that the research project reported here was undertaken.   The project was funded by the Illinois Institute for Environmental Quality, in
cooperation with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.   The Southern Illinois
University-Carbondale Schools of Agriculture and Engineering are jointly involved in the
project.   The research site was located at the SlU-Carbondale Dairy Research Center.   Although the authors of this paper represent the School of Engineering, the work would not
have been possible without the aid of many individuals in the other organizational units
referred to, in particular:   Mr. J. Frank, Agricultural Advisor, Illinois EPA, Dt. G. H.
Kroening, Dean, School of Agriculture, SIU-C, Professor J. J. Paterson and Mr. Gene
McCoy of that School.   Acknowledgment is also given to Mr. Roy Smith, P.E. who prepared the engineering plans for the system and Mr. Steve Schneiderman, who coordinated
the construction phase and established the background data on the system [4].
RESEARCH APPROACH
The traditional method of minimizing pollution from livestock feeding facilities is to
remove the manure from the feedlot surface at a frequency and extent economically feasible.   There is always some material, however, that flows from the feedlot area, particularly after periods of high rainfall.   In addition, there may be other waste sources from
the operations that are independent of weather conditions.   Such was the case at the 60-
head dairy operation reported here, where waste from the milking parlor produces 500
to 1200 gal of high-BOD, nutrient-laden waste each day.
Conventional waste management techniques for this sort of operation would involve
construction of a holding lagoon sized to contain several months of runoff from the
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