Best management practices (BMPs) for animal feeding operations are used to reduce environmental impacts like pollutant runoff to surface water, odors, and groundwater pollution. A complete list of BMPs that must be implemented as appropriate can be found in section 81.8 of Regulation No. 81.
Example BMPs
Divert clean runoff away from animal confinement areas, manure stockpiles and wastewater control facilities.
- Construct ditches, terraces or berms to channel clean water away from pens, manure storage, and wastewater control facilities.
- Install gutters and downspouts to divert clean roof drainage.
- Build roofs over animal confinement areas where practical.
Reduce wastewater discharges to surface water.
- Collect and allow wastewater to evaporate.
- Collect and evenly apply wastewater to land application sites at agronomic rates.
- Locate wastewater storage away from stormwater runoff, streams, ditches or other channels that can carry waste to surface water.
Minimize manure transport to surface water.
- Locate stockpiles away from surface water and floodplains.
- Maintain adequate manure storage.
- Collect manure from pens frequently.
- Apply manure to land application sites at an agronomic rate.
Protect groundwater.
- Maintain a buffer area around water wells when applying manure or wastewater to fields.
- Locate manure and wastewater facilities downhill and at least 150 feet away from all water supply wells.
- Install liners in wastewater impoundments to reduce seepage if a significant risk of groundwater contamination exists.