Use accredited effluent system designers

It requires the assistance of experts who are qualified and experienced in the field. Communication with the system designers, installers and contractors will be crucial to ensure the result is fit-for-purpose in your farming situation.

According to DairyNZ, a good effluent service provider will offer:

• certainty that their product will perform
• guarantees and producer statement
• after-sales care, service and support, and
• farm team training on the operation and maintenance of the system.

DairyNZ recommends that designers and installers should be involved in the project from start to finish supervising the quality and standard of workmanship during the installation and commissioning of the system. They should be willing to stand by their work.

DairyNZ also recommends farmers use suitably qualified and accredited effluent system designers.

Make sure the system will be up to the job, it says.

A poorly designed system will be expensive and frustrating in the long term, particularly for the farm team. Like milking too many cows through a dairy, it can be done, but it takes longer and the likelihood of fatigue, breakdown and general frustration is extremely high.

A system which is poorly designed may result in problems such as:

• high risk of non-compliance with regional council requirements
• no contingency for adverse weather events, staff absence or system breakdown
• high demand on labour and time
• expensive to operate and maintain
• the need to irrigate on days when ponding, runoff, and leaching risk is high
• additional pressure on the farm team during calving or wet weather
• unrealised investment in the system if it is not user-friendly or doesn't achieve compliance, and
• little room for future expansion.

"It is important to think about potential changes to the farm system, especially intensification, including an increase in cow numbers, greater use of stand-off and feed pads or the addition of wintering facilities.

"If these are desired but finances don't allow you to accommodate these now, plan for a staged expansion to the system as you require it. Get the system designed with the changes in mind - it can save a big expenditure in the future."