EPA Victoria (EPA) officers returning from inspections in South Gippsland's dairying districts say farmers should be putting dairy effluent ponds on their 'to do' list before winter sets in.
The officers visited 10 farms and issued one Official Warning, but in most cases gave compliance advice to help farmers to keep their dairy effluent management systems up to standard.
EPA Gippsland Regional Manager Jessica Bandiera says last year's wet spring and flooding in parts of the state were reminders of the hazards of an overgrown or backed up dairy effluent system.
"The threat from a neglected dairy effluent management system is in overflows and leaks, and any rainy weather can send backed up effluent pouring over the edge," Ms Bandiera said.
"Dairy farmers need to get some maintenance done on their dairy effluent ponds, pumps and pipes as soon as they can," she said.
"It's the most effective way to make sure dairy effluent is a fertiliser that's good for your farm, not a pollutant that threatens waterways and neighbouring properties."
The pollutants can include:
- ·nutrients
- pesticides
- fertilisers
- milk from washdown, spillage and waste milk, and
- contaminated soil washed away by heavy rain.
Letting those pollutants escape into channels, drains and waterways can reduce oxygen levels, kill aquatic life, encourage toxic algae and create the danger of disease.
"Dairy farmers can prevent effluent ponds from overflowing by de-sludging, controlling weeds and irrigating the water component to pasture when weather conditions are appropriate," Ms Bandiera said.
"The end of summer is the best time to clean out ponds ahead of winter wet weather, while keeping effluent irrigation equipment in good condition and preparing to deal with any pipe or pump failures," she said.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
There's information how Victoria's General Environmental Duty applies to farms, on the EPA website epa.vic.gov.au/for-business/find-a-topic/agricultural-guidance
There's a guide to dairy effluent management at epa.vic.gov.au/for-business/find-a-topic/effluent-dairy-farm
