| No Discharge Methods | ||||
| All wastewater to manure storage with waste applied to fields | Wastewater delivered directly to liquid manure storage. No discharge expected. | Wastewater delivered to leaking manure storage. | ||
| Total evaporation lagoons | Lined lagoon pro - fessionally designed. Regularly maintained. More than 300 feet from well. | Lined lagoon pro - fessionally designed. Not maintained. More than 300 feet from well. | Lagoon lined but not maintained. Less than 300 feet from well. | No liner, no maintenance. Less than 300 feet from well. |
| Milking cleanup practices | First pipeline rinse captured and added to barn manure. Waste milk never poured down drain. Manure and excess feed always removed before washdown. | Waste milk sometimes washed down drain. Manure and excess feed usually removed before washdown. | Waste milk frequently poured down drain. Manure and excess feed often washed down drain. | All waste milk poured down drain. Manure and excess feed frequently washed down drain. |
| Pretreatment method | Includes solids separator and lagoon storage. | Some solids separated by storage and settling. | No storage or settling. Untreated wastewater discharged to soil. | |
| Location of Disposal Areas | ||||
| Distance from drinking water | More than 250 feet downslope from well. | More than 250 feet upslope from well. | Less than 250 feet downslope from well. | Less than 250 feet upslope from well. |
| Application Methods | ||||
| Irrigation application | System pro - fessionally designed and constructed. Nitrogen levels of effluent regularly checked and credited to waste utilization plan. Discharged to a growing crop on a regular basis. Vegetation regularly removed. Annual soil tests. | Sprinkler system pro - fessionally designed and constructed. Nitrogen levels sometimes checked and credited to waste utilization. Vegetation removed on a regular basis. Soil test performed. | Not a pro - fessionally designed system. Nitrogen levels not regularly checked or credited to waste utilization plan. Vegetation regularly removed. No soil test. | Not a pro - fessionally designed system. Nitrogen levels not checked or credited to crop fertilizer plan. No discharge plan. Vegetation not removed. No soil test. |
| OR | ||||
| Surface irrigation | Combined with high - level pre - treatment. Medium- or fine - textured soil (silt loam, loam, clay loams, clay), more than 10 feet to water table or bedrock. Extended rest period between loadings. Vegetation removed. Annual soil test. | Combined with high - level pre - treatment. Medium- or fine - textured soil (silt loam, loam, clay loams, clay), more than 3 feet to water table or bedrock. Extended rest period between loadings. Vegetation removed. Annual soil test. | Some pre - treatment. Medium- or fine - textured soil (silt loam, loam, clay loams, clay), more than 2 feet over bedrock or high water table. Vegetation not removed. No soil test. | No pre - treatment. One foot of medium- or fine - textured soil (silt loam, loam, clay loams, clay) above bedrock or high water table. Vegetation not removed. No soil test. |
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TEX*A*Syst is a series of publications to help rural residents assess the risk of ground water pollution, and to describe Best Management Practices (BMPs) that can help protect ground water. The TEX*A*Syst documents were developed from the national Farm*A*Syst ground water protection program. The TEX*A*Syst system is designed to help the user learn more about the environment, existing environmental policies and regulations, and recommended management practices. Thus, the user can voluntarily reduce the pollution risks associated with water wells.
TEX*A*Syst materials were edited by Anna Schuster Kantor, and reviewed by M.C. Dozier and the personnel of the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, Texas Water Development Board, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Texas Water Resources Institute, and Texas Farm Bureau. Editorial and formatting assistance were provided by the Department of Agriculture, The Texas A&M University System. |
September 20, 1998
Dennis Hoffman, Project Leader
Steve Dagitz, Webmaster