Did You Know?
California estimates that, at a cost of $320 per ton of salt removed, the total annual cost of removing the dairy salt load to groundwater in the Chino Basin will be roughly $8.8 million per year.
Chino Valley, California, Report Finds
Dairies Contribute Significant
Salt Loads to Aquifer:
In July, 1990, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Ana Region, issued a report, “Dairies and Their Relationship to Water Quality Problems in the Chino Basin” detailing the results of its study of the relationship between dairies and groundwater pollution.
“The relative significance of dairies as contributors to the groundwater quality problem is evident if one compares the salt loads which result from these operations to those from other types of land use.”
“The results [of modeling] show that about 88% of the agricultural salt load within the dairy area is due to dairy operations.”
“Dairy land use accounts for 60% of the total salt added to Chino Basin groundwater from 1958 to 1986.”
“It is evident from this data also that dairy operations have a significant impact on Chino Basin water quality.”
Chino Basin Report Continues:
The report found, based on self-reported dairy statistics, that in 1988, 27,631 tons of salt (TDS) reached the groundwater of the Chino Basin.
"Excessively large salt loads have been entering the ground as a result of waste discharges from dairies.
"These salt loads, with their high nitrate concentrations, appear to have impacted and certainly will continue to impact groundwater in the Chino Basin, and, ultimately, surface water quality in the Santa Ana River.”“Cumulatively, the effect of the degree of manure removal (about 50%) and the continued application of washwater in the dairy area results in a salt loading rate to groundwater of about 2.4 tons/acre/year, which is 8 times the salt loading unit factor sought by the Regional Board for the dairy industry.”
Land Application of Manure and Groundwater Contamination:
The report continues: “There is concern by staff that the use of manure on cropland, even at agronomic rates, may not be protective of underlying groundwater quality. Specifically, the concern is that the use of manure to meet the nutrient requirements of crops results in the excessive application of salts which are not utilized by plants and which, can, therefore, migrate to groundwater.”
Note that in a comparison of commercial fertilizers vs. manure for pounds of salts per 100 pounds of nitrogen, the salt load of manure is much higher (68% for manure, versus 52% and 39% for commercial fertilizers).
Curing Excessive Salt Loads on the Chino Basin Aquifer: The Solution to Pollution?
And the Chino Basin report also states that “irrespective of any other measures which might be implemented to address water quality problems in the Chino Basin, the construction and operation of desalters will be absolutely essential.” California estimates that, at a cost of $320 per ton of salt removed, the total annual cost of removing the dairy salt load to groundwater will be roughly $8.8 million per year.
“To meet Basin Plan objectives in the Chino Basin and thereby comply with the Basin Plan and the State Water Resources Control Board order, the discharge of manure and washwater, and their application as fertilizer and irrigation water cannot be permitted.”
“[It] is imperative to protect the beneficial uses of those subbasins [Chino II and Chino III], and to prevent adverse impacts to the Santa Ana River and its downstream beneficial uses.”
Order 99-11 NPDES No. CAG018001
and Cease and Desist Order 99-65:
California’s Chino Basin’s dairies are currently under a Cease and Desist Order (Number 99-65). This Cease and Desist Order requires all operators of dairies and related facilities (i.e. heifer ranches and calf nurseries) authorized to discharge wastes under Order 99-11 to develop and implement an engineered waste management plan.
This Cease and Desist Order was adopted on August 20, 1999, the same day the Board adopted Order No 99-11, NPDES No. CAG018001, “General Waste Discharge Requirements for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) Within the Santa Ana Region.”
Order 99-11 states that “Disposal of manure to land is prohibited, unless allowed by separate waste discharge requirements issued by the Board” and that “neither the treatment nor the discharge of wastes shall create, or threaten to create, a nuisance or pollution as defined by Section 13050 of the California Water Code.”
