• locating the facility in an area with sufficient soil drainage
• having wind breaks and buffer strips around the facility
• diverting rain water away from areas where it could become contaminated
• maintaining proper gravel cover and landscape gradient so that water does not stand in
access roads and around the production facility
• scraping away manure in open feed lots to reduce buildup of solids and to control odor
and fly production
• collecting runoff from lots through settling basins for subsequent land application
• immediately loading manure into a manure spreader and directly applying to the field
• removing spilled feed promptly
• keeping feeder equipment in good repair
• keeping watering devices in good repair
Buildings - Routine maintenance and good housekeeping practices are the two easiest ways to
prevent pollution in buildings. Some ways that you can use BMPs in buildings are:
• constructing interior surfaces with smooth materials to reduce dust and grime
accumulation and facilitate cleaning
• maintaining adequate ventilation in the building to prevent buildup of dusts, gases,
moisture and heat
• preventing liquids from collecting under animals and watering equipment by using
slotted floors or other technologies
• repairing leaking water lines immediately
• maintaining clean and dry buildings
• installing an underfloor ventilation system in confinement buildings where below floor
manure storage is used
• using a power washer when hosing down walls, dividers and floors in order to reduce
water usage
• covering feeders and extending feed downspouts to minimize dust
• scraping off or flushing away manure in confinement areas on a frequency which is
adequate to minimize odors
• covering sumps at lift stations
• pumping manure from accumulation areas to storage areas on a frequency which is
adequate to prevent odors and overflow
Lagoons, settling basins and holding ponds - Undersized or poorly designed lagoons, settling
basins and holding ponds can cause pollution. Below are some examples of ways to
improve your lagoons, settling basins and holding ponds:
• locating lagoons, settling basins and holding ponds away from valleys which can trap
odors in low lying areas
• constructing lagoons, settling basins and holding ponds so that wastes do not overflow or
leach into groundwater and so that odor is minimized
• covering the lagoon, settling basin or holding pond to reduce surface odors being
released
• adding aeration
• pumping or draining manure to a lagoon in small enough quantities to avoid slug
loadings, maintaining a stable microbial population within the lagoon
• maintaining sufficient storage capacity to prevent overflow of lagoons, settling basins and
holding ponds
• using a pump and a solids separator to lower solids loading
• removing sludge from the primary lagoon frequently enough to prevent overloading or
carryover of solids to a second stage lagoon
• equipping lagoons and holding ponds with a free board gauge that shows when it is
time to pump out and land apply supernatant, preventing overflows
• dewatering lagoons only down to the minimum treatment volume level as indicated on
the lagoon marker
• filling new or emptied lagoons with water to the minimum treatment level before
manure is introduced
