Technologies are being evaluated for implementation and field testing in conjunction with a project funded by TSSWCB. As new technologies are explored and tested, the information on this page will be updated. If interested in submitting a proposal for a new pollution prevention or abatement project, please see our Project Proposal Form.

I.  Aerobic Digester
  Collaboration between the BRA, TCEQ, TFB, TIAER, TSSWCB, United Cooperative Services, USDA-NRCS, and Dairy Producer, Keith Bronley. The project will utilize both solid and liquid dairy waste through an anaerobic digester in a multi-step process to produce both electricity and compost, while reducing phosphorus in the liquid waste stream by approximately 80 percent. The project will serve as a means of transferring technology and education through meetings, presentations, and on-site tours.

As well as provide insight into:

• optimum parameters for anaerobic digestion
  
• solids separation
  
• water recirculation and reuse
  
• economic viability of anaerobic digestion
  
• biological phosphorus removal capabilities, and
  
• how various agencies can pool resources in an efficient and effective manner.

Contact Person: Jay Bragg, Brazos River Authority
Phone:(254) 761-3135
Email:jbragg@brazos.org

II.  Improving Water Quality by Developing, Implementing, and Field Testing Innovative Methods.

  The project will evaluate six new technologies that will be demonstrated on cooperators' dairy farms by the providers. Two technologies will be selected using a review process by the project stakeholder advisory group for evaluation each year, with a total of six technologies being evaluated in three years.

  Each technology will be evaluated for its efficacy to reduce total P and SRP, and other nutrients and metals, by sampling and analyzing the raw and treated effluent. Cost effectiveness, treatment efficiency, and ease of adoption of the technology, as a BMP will be evaluated. Each technology will be demonstrated for a period of at least 10 weeks.

Current Status: The two technologies selected by the advisory group for 2005, "Electrocoagulation Technology" and "Phosphorus Removal by Chemical Precipitation and Geotube® Dewatering," are being tested. A new request for submitting proposals to be considered for selection and field demonstration has been sent to technology providers and posted on the Texas Water Resources Institute and Brazos River Authority websites with a submission deadline of June 30, 2005.

For more information: Progress Reports provided by TSSWCB. Progress Report 4-15-2004; Progress Report 7-15-2004; Progress Report 10-15-2004; Progress Report 1-15-2005; Progress Report 4-15-2005;

Contact Person: Dr. Saqib Mukhtar
Phone: 979.458.1019
Email: mukhtar@tamu.edu

III.  Other Technologies

Overland Flow Treatment-(TiAER)

• Low cost extraction of soluble P from animal wastewaters using overland flow pre nitrification process with a calcium phosphate precipitate with hydrated lime
  
• Overland flow by products - treated effluent, harvested Bermuda grass for dairy feed
  
• Solid liquid separation and then a nitrification/denitrification process
  
• Creates a calcium phosphate fertilizer (at high pH, calcium phosphate is solid, but liquid at low pH)
  
• System compatible with current dairy practices of management systems
  
• Website of 3-year progress report at NCSU: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu:8050/waste_mgt/

Contact Person: James Houser, Ph.D. (TiAER)
Email: jhouser@tiaer.tarleton.edu

IV.  Symposium State of the Science Animal Manure and Waste Management

The most recent symposium to discuss technologies for animal manure and waste management was held in San Antonio, Texas on January 5-7, 2005. The proceedings can be accessed at: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/sanantonio/proceedings.htm.

The following are selected presentations from those proceedings that may be of interest to North Bosque Stakeholders.

2. Trends in Animal Manure Management Research: CRIS Database Richard Hegg, National Program Leader, CSREES. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/sanantonio/Hegg.ppt#1

9. Abatement Measures to Reduce Ammonia Emissions from Open-lot Feed Yards and Dairies David B. Parker, Texas A&M University; N. Andy Cole, USDA-ARS. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/sanantonio/Parker.pdf

12. Persistence of Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. paratuberculosis and other Pathogens During Composting, Manure Pack and Liquid Storage of Dairy Manure. Frederick C. Michael, Jr., Sukhbir Grewal and Srinand Sreevatsan, Ohio State University. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/sanantonio/Michel(pathogens).pdf

Study compared the persistence of naturally occurring and artificially inoculated MAP as well as other naturally occurring pathogens during the treatment of dairy manure by three different commonly used methods; thermophilic composting (55 C.), manure packing and liquid storage.

18. Soil Test Phosphorus Sampling Strategies to Optimize Manure Application Within Agricultural Fields Eugenia M. Pena-Yewtukhiw and John H. Grove, University of Kentucky http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/sanantonio/Pena-YewtukhiwandGrove.pdf

28. Performance of Geotextile Tubes with and without Chemical Amendments to Dewater Dairy Lagoon Solids Thomas M. Bass, John Worley, University of Georgia; and Ted Tyson, Auburn University. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/sanantonio/Worley.pdf

ABSTRACT. Geotextile filtration tubes were used to dewater lagoon solids from a first stage dairy lagoon. Slurry was pumped from the lagoon into the tube with filtered liquid seeping from the tube and returning to the lagoon. Three tubes were filled with no chemical amendments, and three were filled using a combination of aluminum sulfate and a polymer to improve separation efficiency. Each tube was filled five to six times and then allowed to dewater before sampling and spreading. Chemical amendment significantly increased dewatering rate and improved separation efficiency from 79% to 99% for phosphorus and from 92% to 100% for organic nitrogen. Cost for the tube was approximately $10/m3 with no chemical amendment and cost including the chemicals was approximately $14/ m3.

30. Reducing Soil Phosphorus Buildup from Animal Manure Application Gerald W. Evers, Texas A&M University. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/sanantonio/Evers.ppt

“Theory: If moderate levels of animal manure are applied (to meet 60 to 70% of N requirements of the crop), nitrogen becomes the most limiting nutrient. If additional nitrogen is applied, plant growth and uptake of excess phosphorus should be enhanced and residual soil phosphorus reduced.”

33. Phosphorus Removal on Dairies in the Pacific Northwest. Ron Sheffield, University of Idaho; Joe Harrison, Washington State University; Keith Bowers, Multiform Harvest, Inc. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/sanantonio/Sheffield.pdf

“Introduction: Some dairies use flush systems for removing waste from animal enclosure areas and irrigate some of the wastewater onto surrounding cropland. Concern has arisen that the crops’ ability to take up phosphorus (P) in the wastewater falls short of the amount of P applied in the wastewater, thus leading to P accumulation and possible escape to surface water. Measures for reducing P in dairy wastewater are thus being sought. One possibility is the application of a phosphorus crystallizer technology that has been demonstrated in a North Carolina State University (NCSU) to be effective in removing P in swine wastewater (Bowers and Westerman, 2002). In the technology, ammonia and possibly magnesium are added to the wastewater, which then flows upward through a cone containing a fluidized bed of struvite, where P precipitates as struvite onto the bed. To explore the possibility of using this system at dairies, two tests of the technology were undertaken. One test investigated the technology at a 4,000-head dairy near Jerome, Idaho, and the other investigated it at a 600- head dairy near Monroe, Washington.”

40. Challenges in Implementing Phosphorus-Based Nutrient Management Planning Douglas Beegle, Penn State University; Andrew Sharpley, USDA-ARS PSWMRU; Jennifer Weld, USDA-ARS PSWMRU; Peter Kleinman, USDA-ARS PSWMRU. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/sanantonio/Beegle.pdf

ABSTRACT. The last decade has seen major research strides in the US, highlighted by efforts in Pennsylvania and surrounding states, to develop phosphorus (P) management strategies for protecting water quality in a sustainable animal agriculture production system. The most visible outcome of this effort has been the development of state of the art phosphorus site indices (P Index). The P Index has been adopted as a component of nutrient management policy or regulations in 47 states. While research on agricultural P and the environment continues, new efforts are currently under way focusing on implementation of P- Index based policies. Significant challenges have emerged as we have transitioned into implementation. These include fundamental questions about the underlying validity of the P Index and the relationships between regional nutrient balance and BMP-based approaches such as the P Index. Also, many operational challenges have been identified such as: costs and time required for P-Index based plans; variable implementation costs due to location and type of operation; integration of P- Index based plans with other plans such as farm conservation plans; and what BMPs are available to address problems identified by the P Index. Like many other areas, we in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region have been working to evaluate and develop practical responses to these challenges. This paper discusses some of the key challenges we face and how we are responding. Examples of intra- and interstate collaboration to address technical and policy issues are also provided.

54. Applying Alternative Technologies to CAFOs: A Case Study Carol Balvanz, Iowa Cattlemen; John George, Agricultural Engineering Associates; Rick Koelsch, University of Nebraska; John Nienaber, USDA ARS; Ralph Summers, US EPA, Region 7. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/sanantonio/balvanz.pdf

Abstract: The US EPA National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit program has regulated open lot livestock production systems since the 1970’s, historically requiring collection, storage, and land application of runoff. Under the new Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) regulations, the effluent limitation guidelines (ELG) offer the option of Voluntary Alternative Performance Standards for beef and dairy. This potentially allows runoff management options such as vegetative treatment systems (VTS) that may perform equal to or better than our baseline system while maintaining a challenging standard for application of alternative technologies. To facilitate application of VTS, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) and Iowa State University (ISU), have initiated several pro-active efforts including field-based demonstration and evaluation of these technologies and development of performance models for estimating performance. They also enlisted USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to assist with the assembly of the current science and access to cost share resources. This paper will 1) summarize the process used for facilitating an alternative technologies application on CAFOs, 2) review the critical issues in applying new technologies from the perspective of EPA, industry, research community, and private sector; and 3) summarize lessons learned in this process. Significant obstacles exist for alternative technology applications on CAFOs. Stakeholders in livestock environmental issues will need to play pro-active roles if alternative technologies will be permitted under the CAFO regulations.

55. Evaluation of the Survivability of Fecal Coliform in Soil after Winter Application of Dairy Slurry on a Transitional-Organic Grazing-Based Dairy T.D. Nennich, J.H. Harrison and D.L. Davidson, Washington State University. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/sanantonio/Nennich.pdf

Abstract: The lifespan of soil bacteria can affect the potential of bacterial transport to surface waters and therefore influence policy decisions for land application of manure. The persistence of fecal coliform and Escherichia coli in the top 3.8 cm of soil was evaluated after spreading dairy slurry during winter months on a transitional-organic, grazing based dairy in southwestern Washington. Two applications of dairy slurry were applied, once in December 2003 and again in January 2004, by broadcast manure applicator to pastureland in an area approximately 3 to 4 times greater than routine farm practice. Soil cores were taken from plots in a setback zone or slurry application area using a 6 cm diameter soil probe at a depth of 3.8 cm and included surface material. Background soil samples were taken prior to slurry applications to establish baseline levels of fecal coliform and E. coli. Soil samples for determination of fecal bacteria were taken daily for 7 and 4 d, respectively, after the December and January slurry applications and on a weekly basis until bacteria levels were near background concentrations. Bacteria counts increased in the soil with slurry application and a subsequent increase in fecal coliform numbers occurred two to three days after slurry application. Fecal coliform numbers declined over 3 log(10) CFU per 100 g of soil within 52 days after the December slurry application and 42 days after the January slurry application. Fecal coliform bacteria had a relatively short lifespan after application on grassland during the winter months

63. PP.006 -The Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia illucens, as a Manure Management/Resource Recovery Tool. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/sanantonio/Newton.pdf

Abstract: Insects play a significant role in recycling many forms of waste and other accumulated nutrients in the environment. Attempts to harness the power of insects for manure management have not been particularly successful or widely adopted. Although additional research is needed, the current state of the technology for utilizing the black soldier fly (Hermatia) for processing hen and swine manure appears to make it commercially feasible. Hermetia consume manure and convert the nutrients into larval insect mass, which contains 40+% protein and 30+% fat; thus a potential high protein, high energy animal feed. In the process, manure mass is reduced about 50%, with even greater reductions in N and P mass. Additional environmental benefits occur, and a recent analysis suggests that Hermetia manure management could increase net revenue by $25,000! per year per layer house. For all applications, needed improved technology is associated with the adult life cycle and providing eggs throughout the year, and providing a warm environment for the larvae during winter. For conventional swine barn applications, economical methods for removal of excess liquid (urine) are also needed.