We often think of environmental compliance as something that’s primarily expected of manufacturers, utilities, and other big corporations. Actually, there are environmental ordinances that impact professionals at all levels and in virtually every industry, including small farmers and agriculturalists. Indeed, every farmer should be aware of what’s expected of them by the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as local regulating bodies.
This is especially pertinent when it comes to wastewater treatment. Consider that the water used in different agricultural practices can very easily mix with fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, all of which contaminates the water and makes it unsafe for release back into the environment. Failure to acknowledge this, or to properly treat and dispose of the water, can result in legal problems, including fines.
Agriculture and Wastewater Treatment
It’s not just fertilizers and pesticides that farmers have to worry about. For example, agricultural processing centers tend to produce water with high levels of suspended solids. In particular, fruit and vegetable effluent can be incredibly common in the water discharged by farmers and agriculture centers.
There are a number of ways in which the water generated through agricultural practice may be contaminated. As such, those in this field must be aware of a number of different wastewater treatment strategies.
Options for Wastewater Treatment
The most basic option is for farmers to implement full wastewater treatment systems, which separate solids and other particles from the water itself. Separating solid contaminants is generally required to make the water legally dischargeable.
A traditional wastewater treatment system tends to be complicated and may require both a lot of chemicals as well as a lot of labor. Even an automated process usually requires at least one technician to oversee it, which represents a lot of overhead for smaller farming operations.
Another option is simply to haul the water away to a treatment center. The problem with this is that it’s extraordinarily costly, simply because transporting contaminated water is very expensive.
Thankfully, new technologies have made it much easier and more cost-effective for farmers to separate sludge and solids from their wastewater, and to discharge their water more efficiently. For example, centrifuge-based systems can be a great option to separate the liquid from the solid, resulting in clean water that can be discharged back into the environment without violating any EPA regulations. The solids, meanwhile, are often turned into lightweight wafers or cakes, which can be hauled off for disposal much more affordably.
Find Out More About Wastewater Treatment
This is just one example of how technology has changed the game for farmers looking for wastewater treatment options, and it happens to be something we know a lot about here at PHS. We’ve been providing wastewater treatment solutions for decades, and would love to share more information about cost-effective technologies available to help farmers. Reach out to us whenever you’d like to start that conversation.