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Design Procedure Overview

Location of milk house, location of infiltration area, and elevations are key design criteria.


Proper installation of all system components is required.

Design of milk house wastewater handling or treatment systems can be broken into four phases; 1) site evaluation, 2) preliminary designs for multiple options, 3) final design selection and 4) completion of final design. Proper design and installation are required to complete the process.

1. Site evaluation includes an interview with the dairy producer and a walk around the site to assess the status and location of current milk house wastewater disposal, and options for locating a new treatment system. This step should provide the producer with an overview of system options, assessing their preferred treatment options, and estimating wastewater flows. A water meter could be added at this time and flows monitored for two or more months to better estimate the wastewater flow volume. Soil borings should be taken to determine if sufficient separation to ground water or bedrock is available and to determine soil type if a bark bed, ATU or RMF are being considered as system options. Two borings in the designated infiltration area is sufficient.


2. Data collected during the site evaluation is use to prepare preliminary designs for a variety of system options that were not eliminated during the site visit due to farmer preference, farm layout or soil conditions.


3. Design options, including price estimates are then presented to the producer and a final decision made on the appropriate system for the site.


4. Additional data such as more accurate wastewater flow data, more details on site elevations, soil type and texture, water table information, etc. can now be collected and used in the final system design.

The design guidance provided in this document will assist in the selection and proper design of milk house wastewater treatment options that are currently available. Over time it is anticipated that more treatment options will become available and more detailed and specific design guidance given on these existing and future options.

References

Schmidt, D.R., S. Christopherson, P. Fryer, K. Janni. 2005. Design recommendations for Milkhouse Wastewater Treatment Systems. ASAE Paper No. 054103., presented at the ASAE International Meeting held in Tampa, FL, July 17- 20, 2005, St. Joseph, Mich.: ASAE.

Wright, E. P. and R. E. Graves. 1998. Guideline for milking center wastewater. NRAES-115 (DPC-15), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.

University of Minnesota, Onsite Sewage Treatment Program. 2008. Professional Manual. St. Paul, MN.

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