ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Agriculture & Natural Resources
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ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION SERIES
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Agriculture & Natural Resources |
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Simple, every-day solutions often exist to questions about proper agricultural (ag) chemical storage, mixing/loading and application. However, state and federal regulations are rapidly becoming more complex and restrictive, and more intricate solutions may be needed in the very near future to comply with changing surface and ground water protection requirements.
Faced with this prospect, many farmers and other ag chemical users are asking what they can do to be prepared for the new laws and regulations. Of course, no one has a crystal ball, but some areas of ag chemical use seem more vulnerable to change than others.
For example, ACRE has cautioned not to repeatedly load and rinse equipment in the same location and certainly not directly next to wells or surface water. Yet, it's a mistake commonly made, since that's where the water for mixing and rinsing is located. It is important to protect areas where loading or rinsing of sprayers and spreader equipment occurs.
What can farmers do? Farmers may want to construct a cement rinse pad to prevent inadvertently spilled ag chemicals from leaching into ground water or contaminating streams or ponds, and endangering the water that you, your family and neighbors drink. Designed properly, it can also serve as a secure ag chemical storage area and permit easy cleanup of spills incurred during ag chemical handling.
SIMPLE, EFFICIENT DESIGN
There are many possible ways to design and build a cement rinse pad, but one we like was designed by Ronald T. Noyes, extension ag engineer at Oklahoma State University. His standardized, modular design uses input from numerous engineers, researchers and regulators. A key feature is that it provides size flexibility, allowing farmers (as well as dealers) to scale the construction to their needs. Professor Noyes estimates construction costs for a 20x25 foot rinse pad, including professional labor, to be about $900 to $1300, excluding equipment such as sump pump and tanks.
This Fact Sheet will provide a summary of this rinse pad design; Professor Noyes can provide detailed design specifications and cost information in his publication, "Modular Farm Sized Concrete Agricultural Chemical Handling Pads." His address is: Cooperative Extension Service, 224 Ag Hall, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078.
The basic design for the Noyes system guides the construction of a watertight, reinforced concrete pad large enough to hold the largest application vehicle you use, plus containment areas dedicated to rinse water storage tanks, mixing and loading equipment and for ag chemical storage.
The pad is sloped to the center and contains floor drains to sumps for easy cleanup. Steel-grated, shallow concrete collection sumps serve as sediment settling basins and are designed to collect spills and rinse water for transfer to above-ground rinsate tanks. A pump can also be used to move solutions directly from the drain valve on your sprayer into rinsate storage tanks.
To use the rinse pad, a farmer drives his sprayer onto the concrete pad and makes sure that the sump drain valve (if installed) is locked in the closed position. Any leftover field-strength chemical and rinse water from the sprayer drain valve is pumped into a marked rinsate tank. Any spills can be hosed into the sump for later recovery.
Rinse water or rinsate can be stored temporarily in various types of holding tanks, including mobile nurse tanks. A good choice, however, is one or more 300 gallon cross-linked polyethylene or fiberglass tanks. Liquid levels can be easily seen through these types of tanks. Noyes recommends that the rinse water storage tanks be mounted 3 to 5 inches above the concrete floor so leaks can be spotted easily. Pumps and piping should be above ground too, and contained within the rinse pad area.
Probably more than one rinse water tank will be needed. By separating rinse water by use into different tanks, it can be used later as makeup water the next time the product or a compatible chemical is sprayed. Caution should be used to follow label instructions and mix only label-compatible ag chemicals.
Storage tanks are mounted on a level area at the back of the concrete pad, within low concrete walls high enough to contain an amount 10% greater than the volume of the largest rinse water tank should a severe leak occur. A separate sump in the containment area is needed to handle rainfall and potential rinse water spills. It's important to keep sumps pumped dry so rain water and snow won't become a handling problem. Sumps should be checked and rinsed regularly.
STORAGE OF FULL-STRENGTH CHEMICALS
When designing a rinse pad, it may be useful to consider adding extra convenience and greater environmental protection by including an area for storage of full-strength ag chemicals. For security as well as safety, this area should be designed to include security fencing and a locked gate. A weatherproof shed would be useful for those products that need weather protection.
Full strength crop protection chemicals and rinse water tanks can be stored in the same containment area, but they must not be stored in the same containment area as fertilizers and the rinse waters from them. Keeping crop protection chemicals and fertilizers separate within the containment area is accomplished by building a concrete subdividing wall. Separate sumps are needed within each subdivision.
SITE SELECTION
Selection of a suitable site for the rinse pad is also important. It should not be in a location where the water source can be contaminated by an accidental spill. If possible, pick a site that hasn't been used for chemical storage, mixing/loading, or equipment rinsing. If not possible, take precautions to remove contaminated soil or otherwise decontaminate the site before constructing a rinse pad.
If you decide to construct a rinse pad, write to Professor Noyes for details and -specifications. Then carefully review these with your cement contractor, paying particular attention to requirements for re-bar placement, concrete strength, plastic admixtures and waterproofing.
OTHER REFERENCES
Drawings and specifications from other sources are also available. They include:
This sketch illustrates the type of ag chemical rinse pad/storage and containment facility you can build at home.
CAPTURING WASTE WATER
DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS 
National Fertilizer Solutions Association
339 Consort Drive
St. Louis, MO 63011Farmstead Assessment System
University of Wisconsin
Ag Engineering Dept.
Madison, WI 53706DETAIL
800 N. Lindbergh
St. Louis, MO 63167National Agricultural Chemicals Association
1155 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
For more information, call your county Extension
office. Look in your telephone directory under your county's name to find
the number.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension
work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914,
and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.
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