Collection and Storage of Agricultural Animal Wastes and Wastewater: Glossary

Terms you need to know for Worksheet #6 A&B:

Best Management Practices (BMPs): Nitrogen pollution minimization goals for regulated animal feeding operations. BMPs mean methods, measures, or practices to prevent or reduce nitrogen pollution discharges. BMPs include structural and nonstructural controls, and operation and maintenance procedures. They may be applied before, during, and after discharges to reduce or eliminate the introduction of pollutants into receiving waters.

Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO): Regulated agricultural facility having more than 300 animal units confined for 45 days or more per year.

Guidance Practices (GPs): Technical practices used to achieve BMPs.

Liquid waste: Waste containing less than 12% solids that can be pumped or transferred through pipes.

Nitrate (NO₃): Highly mobile form of nitrogen that in large enough amounts is considered a drinking water contaminant. The maximum amount of nitrate-nitrogen allowed in drinking water is 10 parts per million.

Permeability: Ability of water to penetrate and move through soil downward to the groundwater, or laterally through soil towards surface water. The permeability rate for soil is the speed at which water will penetrate and move in a given amount of time. For storage ponds, the rate of 1 foot per year or less is desirable.

Run-on water: Water that moves onto a CAFO. If the water comes into contact with animal wastes, it becomes wastewater and must be stored or contained on site.

Runoff: Water that leaves a CAFO.

Semisolid waste: Waste that is difficult to pump yet impossible to handle with a fork with moisture levels ranging from 80% to 88%.

Solid separator: Mechanical device or gravity settling basin that allows the separation of larger-particle, nonvolatile solids. Mechanical screens have an efficiency range of 20% to 30%. Gravity settling basins have a 30% to 50% efficiency.

Solid waste: Waste material that can be transferred with a fork and handled with a conventional manure spreader and having a moisture level of 80% or less.

Storage system: Pond, lagoon, or tank used to temporarily store or evaporate liquid wastes prior to disposal on cropland. May also function to treat wastes through anaerobic or aerobic processes.

Surface navigable waters: This is a complex court-interpreted definition, but for all practical purposes you cannot have wastewater running off your facility.

Surface water sources: Common surface water sources include canals, reservoirs, ponds, streams, permanent ditches, lakes, rivers, washes, and tile drain inlets.

Transfer system: Permanently installed mechanism such as a piston, air mover, or other type of pump, with conveyance pipe that transfers agricultural wastes from one place to another (for example, from barn to storage, or from storage to field).

Upslope/downslope: Refers to the location of the storage area in relation to water sources.

Arizona
Dept. of
Agriculture