As council requirements get stricter, and enforcement of the requirements tougher, getting the foundations right is more important than ever. This is why many farmers are seeking out ‘accredited’ effluent management system designers for reassurance the changes they’re investing in will keep them out of the muck.
You may be wondering what the big deal is – can’t the guy that installed the cow shed set up our effluent system? Well, it’s possible your local ‘go-to’ will be ‘in-the-know’ of all the rules and regulations of effluent management, but if it’s not his/her specialty they may not have the skills and experience to look into things like your farm’s contour, soil type, weather conditions and other geographical considerations that play a part in designing a system that operates effectively and efficiently 24/7.
If a company is Farm Dairy Effluent System Design Accredited by Irrigation New Zealand, they’ve proven they have the ‘expertise to design and build a dairy effluent system that meets the expectations within regional rules throughout NZ.’ And no, this isn’t just a multiple-choice questionnaire – applicants need to submit documents detailing proof of designs and quality assurance and will also need to pass on-site assessments to qualify. The accreditation must be renewed every 2 years, where the company will be re-assessed to ensure they remain current.
Further to having local knowledge, accredited designers have national knowledge of the requirements of other regions. In Nevada’s case, we’ve got experience with farmers nationwide as well as Australia, and have found this has allowed for a wider knowledge of solutions that have been implemented and worked in different situations. Sometimes regions can get stuck on certain ways of doing things just because it’s traditionally the way they’ve been done, but traditional doesn’t always mean it’s the best. Effluent management is not a one size fits all situation.
So if you’ve been contemplating whether it’s worth it to seek out an accredited effluent management system designer for your project, we’d say yes!
Another benefit of working with accredited effluent management system designers is their ability to make the most of your existing infrastructure. A good example is farmers transitioning away from discharging. An accredited designer will be able to look at the existing infrastructure, like holding ponds, and advise on whether it can be restructured into a new effluent management system, or if not, how the ponds could be re-purposed.