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On 3 May 2007, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Valley Region (CVRWQCB) adopted Waste Discharge Requirements General Order for existing Milk Cow Dairies (Order No. R5-2007-0035) (General Order). This WDR applies to milk cow dairies that were in existence as of 17 October 2005 and that filed a Report of Waste Discharge (ROWD) in response to the Regional Board’s request of 8 August 2005. Check with ERG, your dairy may not be covered by this WDR.
ERG is a Veteran owned company whose key personnel have a long history of environmental consulting and compliance for our clients. We at ERG are focused on assisting California Dairies to become compliant with the new WDR and providing turn key consulting, sampling, record keeping, and reporting services. We want to be an extension of your dairy team handling the RWQCB compliance issue so you can focus on your dairy. Our team members have more than 15 years of experience in working with the Regional Water Quality Control Board with projects currently underway. Members of our team have completed and implemented regulatory-based Waste Management and Nutrient Management Plans for dairies. Some of our staff have worked for the USDA and NRCS since 1991 working with 2,000 agriculture and urban land users and dairies. Our team has created more than 245 Nutrient Management Plans, Waste Management Plans and Conservation Plans.
Our staff has an extensive history of obtaining regulatory compliance with the RWQCB and specifically for waste management on dairies.
This “hands on” experience gives us the ability to:
- Control project costs
- Rapidly complete necessary tasks
- Improve dairy balance
- Provide several options
The overall purpose of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board WDR and the nutrient management planning is the protection of the soil and water resources. Most regulatory jurisdictions in North America now require that livestock farmers have an approved Nutrient Management Plan (NMP).
Waste Discharge Requirements General Order No. R5-2007-0035 for Existing
Milk Cow Dairies (General Order) and its attachments contain a number of requirements. The first document that needs to be submitted to the Regional Board is the Existing Conditions Report, which was due to the Regional Board on 31 December 2007. In addition, the following activities also need to be started, it is important to keep proper records of all activities:
- Conduct daily visual inspections of the production area and record the results of the inspection.
- Take a monthly photograph of the pond freeboard and store in an easily
accessible area It is important to keep a written record noting conditions
observed during inspections.
- Maintain at least two feet of freeboard in any aboveground retention pond
and at least one foot in any belowground retention pond
- Ensure that the waste management and storage areas are managed to prevent breeding of mosquitoes, minimize weeds, dead algae, minimize vegetation on surface etc.
- Conduct daily inspections of the land application areas when process
wastewater is being applied . (Again, it is important to keep a proper written record of conditions observed during these inspections)
- Make sure a copy of the General Order is on-site and in a location that dairy personnel can access it.
- Every time you ship process wastewater or manure offsite to another person
or company, complete a Manure/Process Wastewater Tracking Manifest.
- Beginning 1 October 2007, monitor discharges of manure, process
wastewater, storm water, and tailwater.
- By 3 November 2007, sample each domestic and agricultural well, and any tile drain system, at your facility.
- By 31 December 2007, prepare written agreements with any person who receives your process wastewater.
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