Manure Storage

Pig Manure is Worth Saving:

In the pig industry all the manure, urine and wash water from the barns is held in storage until it can be injected into the ground to fertilize farmers’ crops.

The size of the Earthen Manure Storage (EMS) is calculated based on how many animals are in the barn. This EMS can hold 22.1 million litres (4.9 million gallons) or 400 days worth of storage.

Not just a hole in the ground!

It is an engineered reservoir, built to exact specifications, similar to those for municipal sewage or water storage.

In the Prairies, the correct combination of soil type and the absence of ground water near the surface, makes it possible to construct earthen manure storages safely and economically.

How Does It Work?

1. Pumped through sewer pipe from the barn (underground) into Cell #1(holding pit)

2. Release the Gate Valve and the manure is transferred by underground pipe to Cell #2 until the truck loads it to inject into the soil.

George Hogg tells us…
“Covering the manure is important to control odour and preserve nutrients.” Check out the Pig Poop Cycle display.

When the province grants a permit for constructing a barn, it requires a geotechnical survey (soil type and topography), an engineering plan for the manure storage, a minimum distance from neighbours and an odour control plan for the EMS.