1B – Animal Waste

Content last updated June 23, 2014

Management Measure

Limit the discharge from the confined animal facility that is not a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) by: containing both facility wastewater and the contaminated runoff from confined animal facilities at all times, up to and including storms exceeding a 25-year, 24-hour frequency event, and managing stored runoff and accumulated solids from the facility through an appropriate waste utilization system that is consistent with Management Measure 1C (nutrient management).

Management Practices

The purpose of this management measure is to limit the discharge of manure, litter, and process wastewater from a confined animal facility that is not a CAFO. Facilities that are defined as CAFOs under USEPA regulations (40 CFR §122.23) are considered point source dischargers and must secure coverage under an NPDES permit. Such facilities are subject to the terms and conditions of that permit.

All other confined animal facilities are considered nonpoint sources. These nonpoint sources, however, must still comply with animal waste discharge standards found at sections 22560 through 22565 of Title 27 of the California Code of Regulations and with any applicable WDRs or waiver. The following practices are recommended for controlling and preventing NPS pollution from confined animal facilities. These practices may also be helpful in achieving compliance with statewide requirements:

• Liquid manure storage structures should be designed to store facility wastewater and the contaminated runoff from confined animal facilities at all times, up to and including storms exceeding a 25-year, 24-hour frequency event, and should be consistent with nutrient management plans designed for the facility.
  
  
• Dry manure should be stored in production buildings or storage facilities, or otherwise covered to prevent manure from coming into contact with rainwater and entering surface waters through runoff.
  
  
• Compost manure where appropriate, and reuse as fertilizer and/or soil amendment.
  
  
• Each facility should have a nutrient management plan that is consistent with Management Measure 1C (nutrient management).
  
  
• Clean water should be diverted from contact with feedlots and holding pens, animals, and manure storage facilities through the use of berms, dikes, diversions, roofs, or enclosures.
  
  
• Dead animals should be buried an adequate distance from surface and/or ground water so that quality of water is not affected.
  
  
• See page of liquid wastes to ground and surface water should be prevented through the use of impermeable linings for liquid storage ponds and concrete pads or other suitable material for solid storage and heavy animal traffic areas.

Programs

• Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) is a program to help growers enhance environmental quality while maintaining yields and profits. BIFS projects use on-farm demonstrations and a collaborative model of outreach and extension involving public-private partnerships.
  
  
• California Dairy Quality Assurance (CDQA) Program was created to assist dairy producers with navigating and complying with the rules and regulations governing the industry. The CDQA program is a voluntary partnership between dairy producers, government agencies, and academia to address environmental stewardship, animal welfare, and food safety issues. The environmental stewardship module has three components: education, self-assessment, and third-party evaluation, terminating in certification, and focuses on compliance with federal, state, and local water quality regulations. A comprehensive checklist is used as the assessment tool in the certification process.

Information Resources

• Council of Bay Area Resource Conservation Districts (CBARCD), Conservation Measures to Reduce Nonpoint Source Pollution at Horse Facilities, this publication contains information on how to manage manure, pastures, stormwater runoff, and stream protection.
  
  
• Council of Bay Area Resource Conservation Districts (CBARCD), Horse Manure Management: A guide for Bay Area Horse Keepers. This guidebook provides information on proper manure management, such as appropriate storage, handling, recycling or disposing of horse manure.
  
  
• King Conservation District: How to Compost Horse Manure, provides information on how to compost horse manure for a small farm (1-5 horses).
  
  
• Midwest Plan Services, Livestock and Poultry Curriculum: Module C Manure Storage and Treatment is a national curriculum developed for U.S. livestock and poultry industry advisors and producers to help them acquire certification and achieve environmentally sustainable production systems.
  
  
• Yuba County, CA, Water Quality Guidelines for Horse and Livestock Activities this brochure has been prepared to inform residents in Yuba County of the guidelines recommended to protect the water quality in storm drains, channels, creeks, bays, and the ocean from horse and livestock management activities.
  
  
• UC Davis, California Dairy Quality Assurance Program: The Dos and Don’ts of Manure Management and Clean Water provides information and photo documentation on how to manage manure to protect ground and surface water resources.
  
  
• University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Animal Science Extension: Livestock Waste Management provides information on dairy waste management.
  
  
• USDA NRCS, Agricultural Waste Management Field Handbook provides technical assistance for facilities designing agricultural waste management systems.
  
  
• USDA NRCS, Animal Feeding Operations has information on comprehensive nutrient management planning for animal feeding operations.
  
  
• USDA NRCS, Animal Waste Management contains links to tools and information related to the development of animal waste management systems and comprehensive nutrient management plans (CNMPs) for confined animal facilities.
  
  
• USEPA, California: Animal Waste Management provides information on waste management programs for animal feeding operations in California.
  
  
• USEPA, National Agriculture Compliance Assistance Center provides information on operating procedures, schedules of activities, maintenance procedures, and other management practices that confined animal facilities can use to prevent or reduce pollution.

References

USDA. No date. Electronic Field Office Technical Guide for California. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service.

USEPA. 2002. Chapter 4: Management Measures. In National Management Measures for the Control of Nonpoint Pollution from Agriculture. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington DC.