Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Livestock Bio-Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #396611
Research Project: Improving Livestock Production by Developing Reproductive and Precision Management Technologies

Location: Livestock Bio-Systems

Title: Integration of a real-time wastewater pond leak detection with precision livestock systems

Author
item Woodbury, Bryan

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/6/2023
Publication Date: 5/1/2023
Citation: Woodbury, B.L. 2023. Integration of a real-time wastewater pond leak detection with precision livestock systems. In: Y. Zhao, D. Berckmans, H. Gan, B. Ramirez, J. Siegford, L Wang-Li. Proceedings of the 2nd U.S. Precision Livestock Farming Conference 2023, May 21-24, 2023, Knoxville, Tennessee. p. 242-249.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Wastewater generated during animal production contains contaminants that can degrade soil and groundwater quality as well as impact human health. Typically, wastewater is stored in earthen-holding ponds until it can be properly disposed. Subsurface leakage from these ponds is detected using monitoring wells. Monitoring wells have many difficulties inherent with them for effectively detect leakage. An alternative was developed using resistivity arrays (RA). This technology improves monitoring by measuring multiple sides of a pond using one array and creates a near, real-time flow of information allowing for early leak detection. To automate the technology, a near-surface data analysis protocol was developed that had user-set thresholds to allow scaling of instrument sensitivity. The protocol used a statistical-based process for calibrating the reference data for a wide range of geological and geographical setting. This protocol allowed for the RA technology to continuously measure for leakage and when thresholds are exceeded, send an alert message to managers of potential problems. These advantages provide substantial improvements to production livestock managers for protecting soil and groundwater quality from wastewater pond leakage. The objectives of this paper are to detail the technology development, discuss the advantages with its real-time flow of more responsive information and then illustrate the application of the technology for incorporation with precision livestock management.