Stirring and pumping all effluent nutrients together is not always possible. We’ve come across a wide variety of effluent management systems, and the good news is, there are alternative removing solids from effluent ponds, without needing to start over.
The Ultimate Goal
The ultimate goal is to have efficient and effective systems in place so you can get value from your effluent. While it is usually recommended the effluent get thoroughly mixed with a stirrer before pumping everything out to pasture, if you’ve got irrigators that don’t handle thicker slurries well, or perhaps a system that utilises green waste in another way, stirring it all up may not be viable.
There is still a good method for removing solids from effluent pond without compromising your storage. Leaving your solids to accumulate will not only leave you a bigger job to deal with later on, but your nutrients will lose their value – so it is costly on two fronts.
When stirring isn’t an option
When stirring isn’t an option, a slurry tanker can be your best friend for dealing with solids in your effluent pond. You can decant your liquids from the top of the pond, then the slurry tanker can suck the thicker solids from the bottom of the pond. Having a slurry tanker on hand means the nutrients don’t need to sit for too long losing their nutrients, you can spread when and where you need to, and you’re not spending money and waiting for a contractor to come and get the job done.
Stone Traps
Another helpful option would be to install a large stone trap which can capture the majority of solids. This would speed up processing time as your pond would only hold liquids ready for irrigation, and the stone trap can be cleaned out regularly using the slurry tanker.
The frequency to which the effluent pond or stone trap needs emptying with the slurry tanker will depend on the amount of solids input into your storage. It will need to be done before a crust is formed.
