Do inadequate waste management practices lead to water pollution?
A. 1. In some major pork production states, up to 80 percent of manure slurry from concentrated pork production operations is now injected directly into the soil at the root zone. This practice preserves the valuable crop nutrients in manure, virtually eliminates odor and runoff potential and places the nutrients where crops can use them. Hog manure is very valuable in restoring soil productivity and will bring soil back to a higher level of productivity than it had before because of the organic nutrient content. 2. A significant potential source of nutrients in ground and surface water is the use of private septic systems. It’s estimated 66 million Americans rely on septic systems for waste treatment producing up to 45 gallons per person per day of waste water. Septic effluent is typically deposited in trenches 18 to 24 inches below the surface, well below the root zone of most crops. 3. On a per acre basis, a septic system’s output can equate to application of total nitrogen of more
