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Introduction to Dairy Waste Management
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California is America's biggest dairy producer, with over 1.4 million cows producing over three billion gallons of milk annually -- and 30 million tons of manure. All this waste can pollute rivers, streams, ground water, and air, if not properly managed. To prevent such pollution, EPA is working with universities, industry, and state regulators on a variety of efforts. EPA is revising its waste regulations for dairies with over 700 cows, which are classified as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).
Preventing pollution from dairy waste can be a challenge, requiring knowledge of animal nutrition, nutrient sources and uptake by crops, precipitation, soil types, and other factors. For example, in Southern California's Chino Basin, there is far more dairy waste than can be safely applied to farm fields. Managing the waste involves finding other users for solid manure, such as farms outside the Chino Basin or composting facilities. In California and Arizona, EPA is funding state/federal academic partnerships to train CAFO operators to properly manage waste.
Cattle in corral And in milking center
Animal waste can be stored three ways
Waste storage Land application Waste lagoon
Water Pollution
How can dairies cause water pollution?
- Runoff from corrals can wash manure into nearby streams; waste water from corrals and waste storage lagoons can seep into ground water.
- Major storms can cause waste water lagoons to rupture or overflow into nearby waterways.
- Too much manure applied to farm fields as fertilizer, or applied at the wrong time, can wash into streams or seep into ground water before crops can absorb them.
What environmental problems does this cause?
Dead Fish
- Excess nutrients in water from dairy waste can cause algal blooms, which deplete dissolved oxygen as they decompose, killing fish and other aquatic life.
- Nitrate in ground water can reach unhealthy levels, causing infants to develop Blue Baby Syndrome, a potentially-fatal blood disorder.
- Pathogens in dairy waste, such as Cryptosporidium, which causes diarrhea, can be fatal to people with weakened immune systems.
- If microorganisms or nitrate levels exceed Safe Drinking Water Act standards, well owners must find new drinking water sources. Finding them, drilling wells, and laying new pipelines is difficult and expensive.
What can be done?
Installing a water tight waste lagoon liner
- Watertight plastic or clay waste lagoon liners prevent contaminants from seeping through the bottom and sides of lagoons.
- Properly measured and timed application of waste water to agricultural fields minimizes polluted runoff and seepage into ground water.
- Buffer strips -- permanent strips of vegetation between farm fields and streams -- absorb nutrients that would otherwise enter waterways as polluted runoff.
Air Pollution
How can dairies cause air pollution?
- Gases, such as methane, ammonia, and reactive organics, are created by the decomposition of animal wastes in lagoons and other areas within the dairy.
- Dust is generated by animal activity and farming practices that disturb the soil surface.
What environmental problems does this cause?
- Dust can cause respiratory tract inflammation, and make people vulnerable to respiratory diseases, such as asthma. Methane, reactive gases, and ammonia can cause nausea, headaches and throat and eye irritation.
- Emissions of reactive gases can create smog. Methane emissions contribute to greenhouse gases. Ammonia emissions can lead to formation of fine particulate matter, which also causes respiratory problems.
What can be done?
- Waste lagoons emit methane, which is similar to natural gas, and can be captured and used as an energy source.
- Dust suppressants can be used to reduce airborne dust
- Additional research is underway to better understand how dairies generate air pollutants and how to reduce them.
For More Information:
EPA Pacific Southwest
Region's Animal Waste Web pages
Access EPA information on animal waste pollution prevention efforts
in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada; plus how-to guides for
dairy operators, photos, contacts, bibliography, and more.
California Dairy Quality Assurance
Program 
This environmental stewardship partnership between government agencies,
UC Davis Extension, and the dairy industry helps California dairy
producers prevent pollution.
Animal Waste Management
in Arizona
The University of Arizona's animal waste management page provides
links to pollution control regulations and techniques specifically
for dairies and feedlots in Arizona.