Client

Matt Gow

Location

Bay of Plenty

Category

1000m3 Vortex Bladder

Matt Gows 700 Cow Farm

Matt Gows 700 Cow Farm - BOP

What Matt Wanted
Matt was looking for a new dairy effluent system that would be able to manage the effluent from the feedpad that operates for 6 months a year, as well as from the dairy shed throughout the season. Having enough storage for both the solids and the liquids that were captured throughout the year to enable them to be fully utilised when conditions were suitable whilst meeting the requirements of the BOPRC were seen as key requirements for the new system.

What Matt Thinks About His New Dairy Effluent System
“We’ve increased our hydranted irrigation area by 30ha which includes a 10ha low risk area. For our consent we have included the whole farm as an irrigation area to allow for contracted spreading as required. We installed the Bellin pump and Corbra irrigator as per Precise DE recommendations. Both are performing to our expectations. Brian has also been very helpful with DESC variations and soil analysis of high and low risk irrigation areas. Our calculations required a second bladder to be installed which has been delayed until March 2024. The lower capital cost of bladders and well communicated payment schedule has helped”.

Solution/Key Changes for the Dairy Effluent system

  • The first key element was to limit the amount of rainwater entering the system to minimise the amount of irrigation and overall storage needed. This was done by using a Vortex Bladder as the main storage, and also covering the feedpad
  • The installation of a weeping wall to capture the solids from the feedpad and dairy shed. These solids could then be spread to any areas of the farm where required, especially cropping paddocks.
  • Extending the irrigation area to some of the more free draining soils on the farm to increase the times it was possible to irrigate
  • Using a Cobra Travelling Raingun to deliver low application depths and rates to better match the soils varying infiltration rates, this will help to minimise the opportunity for any ponding or runoff
  • The use of a Bellin PC pump that delivers 22m3 per hour over the entire irrigation area, meaning that there was consistent performance, depths and rates from the Cobra Travelling Raingun

Farm Details

  • Herd Size: 700 cows
  • Annual Rainfall: 1447 mm
  • Soil Risk: High and Low Risk
  • Original Dairy Effluent Infrastructure: Large sandtrap, 50m3 concrete tank, irrigation pump, travelling irrigator

Key Products Supplied & Recommended

  • 2 x 1200m3 Vortex Bladder
  • Weeping Wall
  • Bellin PC pump 22m3/hr
  • Additional hydrant line
  • Cobra Travelling Raingun

Key Services Supplied

  • Advice and design
  • Completion of a Dairy Effluent Storage Calculator
  • Installation of the Vortex Bladder
  • Post installation visits

The 22m3/100 Italian Bellin PC irrigation pump draws from the concrete tank, and pumps to a Cobra Raingun, delivering at least 22m3 per hour at every paddock. The pump comes complete with a high low pressure/flow switch and stainless inlet and outlet pipes. The Vortex Bladder automatically fills the concrete tank as required so the pump is always ready to go.

The combination of the weeping wall and Vortex Bladder provide substantial storage, and a very easy to maintain dairy effluent system.

This 1200m3 Vortex Bladder has, a central drain hole on the base for extracting the liquid, a specially designed bladder pad, a special inlet setup for the delivery of liquid to the Bladder, which all helps to make an easy clean system for the bladder.

The covered feedpad helps to limit the rainfall that is captured in the system, and is easily cleaned with the weeping walls in close proximity.

The dairy shed is linked directly to the weeping walls making for an easy care system.

Another 1200m3 Vortex Bladder is to be added to the system shortly, which will be located a fair distance from the current infrastructure, making it very easy to reach the furthest points of the farm, whilst adding additional storage well above what is required.