A new code of practice and design standards for effluent systems in the dairy industry was released last week.
Two years in the making, the Farm Dairy Effluent (FDE) Design Code of Practice and Design Standards has been driven by a steering group of representatives across the industry, effluent services and
regional councils.
DairyNZ strategy and investment leader Dr Rick Pridmore said they signal a change to the way future effluent systems will be designed and built.
"Preventing effluent non-compliance is a focus for farmers and through the code and standards we're addressing a key structural reason which has been letting our industry down by giving guidance around what a good practice effluent system looks like," he said.
New effluent systems built under the code and standards will help address the issue of poorly designed systems leading to non-compliance with regional council regulations for the management of effluent.
"The new code aims to support the people who design and install dairy effluent systems with well thought through, industry-agreed standards and a process to come up with systems which are fit for purpose," Dr Pridmore said.
Tim Scott, of the New Zealand Milking and Pumping Trade Association Inc (NZMPTA), said the code and standards direct designers to consider nationally-agreed performance criteria when they are designing effluent systems.
"Designers know what level of performance the industry expects them to build to," he said.
"It's a win for farmers as systems which are designed to deliver nutrients more efficiently improve production and they reduce environmental impacts which can result from poor performing systems."
Irrigation New Zealand chief executive Andrew Curtis said information sessions, formal training and an accreditation process for effluent system designers and suppliers will be delivered to bring them up to speed with the code and standards.
He expects industry training courses for designers and installers will be available by mid-year, followed by an accreditation process.
The documents are available for download on www.dairynz.co.nz/effluentcode
