FAQ
Environment
Q: What is land application and why is it important?
A: Land application is a waste recycling process that uses treated wastewater as fertilizer for crops. As the volume of septic tank and commercial wastes has increased over time, local sewer systems have not been able to handle all of it. LHR Farms and other similar facilities across the state are meeting this growing demand by offering this safe alternative to “midnight dumping,” a common – and damaging – practice in the past. Land application has recognized benefits for Georgia as articulated in the draft State Water Management Plan just adopted by the State Water Council last week (Jan. 8, 2008). Land application is vital to the health of the community and allows trees and soils to form a "living filter" that purifies the wastewater before it passes naturally into the water supply.
Q: What testing procedures does LHR Farms have in place to ensure safety?
A: LHR Farms periodically tests its crops and hay to check for proper nutrient uptake. Sentinel wells are used to assure that pollutants do not leave the property or its buffers in groundwater. The farm also tests water before it is land applied for final treatment. It tests for the presence of fecal coliform bacteria and nutrients to be sure that they are applied at safe and correct agronomic rates. Additionally, groundwater is tested for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), pH, nitrogen and specific conductivity to make sure that pollutants do not contaminate groundwater. Georgia’s Environmental Protection Department receives copies of these test results. LHR Farms has also engaged a third party company to monitor as an additional check on results.
Q: How does LHR Farms protect creeks, groundwater, and other bodies of water?
A: LHR Farms uses a variety of methods at the farm to protect water quality. All material is sprayed at least 300 feet from any body of surface water or creek. Swales and berms are cut into sloped land to prevent water from running off into nearby bodies of water. A variety of sentinel wells on the property are used to test for groundwater infiltration; reports from these wells are routinely provided to the State of Georgia and have shown no problems to date. Finally, by spraying on our site at correct flow rates, we are allowing treated water to remain on the farm long enough to be used naturally.
