Dairy Manure Remediation
Leduc, Alberta, Canada
Manure treatment to tackle Greenhouse Gas, manure odor and groundwater contamination.
Overview
- Reducing methane production.
- Rendering manure into a liquid plant nutrient that can be applied at any time of the year.
- Protecting groundwater.
- Eliminating manure related odor.
- Reducing copper and other heavy metals in soils
The ecoStory
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Biological matter stored in low oxygen environments always produces methane gas. Once emitted, methane stays in the atmosphere for about nine years, but its global warming potential is 86 times higher than carbon dioxide when averaged over 20 years and 28 times higher over 100 years.
As the pie chart shows, agriculture, wastewater (sewage) and garbage combined comprise 12% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. As we try to meet th UN targets for GHG reductions, this represents the low-hanging fruit.
Most methods for reducing greenhouse gasses involve increasing the price of CO2 emissions, thus making the cost of doing business more expensive. NOAH systems, on the other hand, have cost savings for the user while improving the environment.
Groundwater Contamination
In May 2000, a heavy rainstorm washed cattle manure into a town well in Walkerton, Ontario. The manure contaminated the water with the E.coli intestinal bacteria, causing illness and death. This was an extreme example of groundwater contamination that has been going on for decades, and it’s getting worse. Many people rely on wells for their potable water needs, but with increasing frequency, the water fails to meet minimal drinking water standards.
Agriculture Odors
Anyone living near an agricultural area or sewage treatment plant can attest to the pervasive smell that emanates from the operation. Besides being unpleasant, it bears eloquent testimony to the environmental harm being done.
The ecoProject
Treating Manure Using Natural Processes
“The first thing you’ll notice is that the smell is gone,” is the way Jim Hay’s would introduce the HIOS system he designed to remediate manure lagoons.
A Hays system features the HIOS suspension raft with dual oxygen jets circulators floating on the top of the lagoon. During a typical treatment, the first week will produce 4-6 inches of foam covering the lagoon as aerobic bacterial activity consumes the organic solids.
For the first 2-3 days, the odor increases and then becomes negligible as bacteria colonies thrive and multiply, doing their work fed by the super oxygenated water produced by the NOAH system.
After four weeks, the lagoon becomes a nearly clear liquid able to digest all new manure coming into it in a matter of hours.
The water, now very high in nutrients, can be applied at any time of the year, even in the summer months, using standard irrigation systems.
When the super-oxygenated, nutrient-rich water is applied to fields, it enriches the land, facilitating high-quality fodder production.
Groundwater contamination from manure storage is an ongoing environmental concern affecting aquatic life and drinking water. A chemical analysis of the treated water highlights how effective our treatment is in restoring a healthy environment.
The manure system is typical of many green technologies, which can make significant environmental improvements but face barriers to market acceptance. The ecoWarriors campaign will allow technologies like this to generate significant ecological impacts. For more details on how this technology works, click here.
