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WI dairy solves water issue with new system

March 21, 2016, Loyal, WI – Meyer Family Dairy in Clark County, Wis., has included the LWR Manure Treatment System as part of its latest expansion strategy.

This addition will allow the dairy to add more cows without having to acquire more land for manure storage. Also, by concentrating manure nutrients into a stable fertilizer, no additional land will be required for manure spreading. Most significantly, by adding the LWR system they will have the ability to recycle up to 75 percent of the water back from the dairy manure, eliminating of the need to drill a high-capacity well.

Meyer Family Dairy is located in a dryer part of the state and was considering the installation of a high-capacity well before deciding to install the LWR system.

“We’ve had some fairly aggressive growth over the last few years,” says dairy spokesperson Mike Meyer. “In order to achieve our targets, we needed an additional water source to wash our sand bedding. This installation will allow us to achieve our expansion in a sustainable way.”

The regulation of groundwater withdrawals has been a highly debated topic in the state of Wisconsin, as it is in most parts of the U.S. Although farmers use groundwater in reasonable and productive ways, they continue to be faced with regulatory pressure. Wells are regulated depending on capacity, such as 70 gallons per minute, or 100,000 gallons per day. Farmers must acquire a permit for a high-capacity well and that permit must be approved by the WI Department of Natural Resources. In 2011, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued its Lake Beulah decision, which has led to regulatory uncertainty in the state for any reconstructed wells, replacement wells, existing wells and new wells.

“It has been said that groundwater is the number one issue of the future,” says Ross Thurston, president of LWR. “By installing the LWR system, Meyer Family Dairy will have more control over their water resources. They won’t have to drill an additional well, battle regulations, or ask permission to access more water. They have water already available to them, which can now be unlocked by the LWR system. This is an exciting installation as it demonstrates that the LWR system is not only a manure management tool, but that it is truly a sustainable water source for livestock operations. ”

The system, scheduled for installation this summer, will be the third in Wisconsin.