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Dairy Farming and W ater Quality

Dairy Farming and W ater Quality. AS 90653. Contents. Dairy farm contaminants and waterways Effluent Nutrients Agrichemicals Sediments Dairy farm actions to mitigate Riparian Planting Effluent Management Nutrient Management Managing Waterways. Effluent. Want to know more?

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Dairy Farming and W ater Quality

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  1. Dairy Farming and Water Quality AS 90653

  2. Contents • Dairy farm contaminants and waterways • Effluent • Nutrients • Agrichemicals • Sediments • Dairy farm actions to mitigate • Riparian Planting • Effluent Management • Nutrient Management • Managing Waterways

  3. Effluent Want to know more? Best Practice Management of Dairy Farms being irrigated • Poor effluent management can result in: • direct discharge into waterways • indirect entry via surface runoff • contamination of groundwater • Effluent can contain stormwater, spilled milk, soil and feed residue, detergents and other chemicals, in addition to the faeces, urine and washdown water.

  4. Effluent Want to know more? Best Practice Management of Dairy Farms being irrigated • The organic matter in effluent requires oxygen to break it down. This is measured in terms of its Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD). The oxygen needed to break down organic matter in effluent could otherwise be used by aquatic life. Therefore, effluent breakdown poses a threat to plant and animal life within a waterway.

  5. Effluent Want to know more? Best Practice Management of Dairy Farms being irrigated • New Zealand's clean, green and unpolluted status is invaluable. It must be protected through farm management practices. World markets are becoming increasingly interested in the cleanliness of the farm dairy and the practices that are carried out there. This info from Waikato Regional Council – see report managing farm dairy effluent

  6. Effluent Want to know more? Best Practice Management of Dairy Farms being irrigated • The nutrients in effluent can cause excessive growth of bacterial and fungal slimes. These growths can change the quality of aquatic ecosystems, raise the pH of the water, and cause the death of sensitive animals and plants.

  7. Effluent Want to know more? Best Practice Management of Dairy Farms being irrigated • Discharge of effluent into a waterway can pose a health threat to downstream users, since disease-causing microorganisms can be transmitted via water. Such micro-organisms make water unsafe for drinking or recreational use.

  8. Effluent Want to know more? Best Practice Management of Dairy Farms being irrigated • Chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals and cleaning agents, can act as poisons to aquatic plants and animals

  9. Effluent Want to know more? Best Practice Management of Dairy Farms being irrigated • The presence of effluent in New Zealand’s waterways, and the effect that it has, can upset local residents and will give a poor impression to overseas visitors. Farm dairy discharges compromise Maori cultural and spiritual values (kaitiakitanga). Direct discharges of treated or untreated effluent to waterways are culturally offensive to all New Zealanders.

  10. Effluent Want to know more? Best Practice Management of Dairy Farms being irrigated • Where effluent enters marine environments it can have a negative impact on shellfish quality • Shellfish (such as mussels) are filter feeders and accumulate the microorganisms making them unsuitable for human consumption. This info from NZ Landcare Trust (see fact sheet)

  11. Effluent – summary of effects

  12. Sediment • Sediment may alter the colour, clarity or temperature of a waterway. This can upset aquatic ecosystems as well as reduce the aesthetic value of the water. • Sediment will smother aquatic plants and may reduce light infiltration, adversely affecting plant photosynthesis. • Sediment can also smother insects on stream beds and clog up the gills of fish. • Sedimentation of waterways can raise the bed levels, causing flooding. • Sediments carry Phosphates (from fertilisers and manure) into waterways which feeds aquatic plant growth.

  13. Nutrients • Ammonia-N is highly toxic to fish and aquatic animals, even at low concentrations (i.e. 0.2 to 1.0 g/m3 ). • Ammonia-N requires large quantities of oxygen to break it down. Therefore, ammonia breakdown depletes the oxygen levels of waterways. • Nutrients such as N and P increase aquatic plant growth, clogging waterways making water unpleasant for swimming and drinking.

  14. Reducing stock losses • Bank errosion • Conserving soil • Improving stock health

  15. Actions to Mitigate

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