Water Separation and Reuse to Propel Decarbonization of Concentrated Animal Feed Operations (CAFOs)

Concentrated Animal Feed Operations produce thirteen times more waste than humans in the United States and yet receive minimal wastewater treatment. Efforts to decarbonize are already underway through plans to beneficially capture carbon via swine waste lagoon covers to generate biogas; however, these efforts have been continuously delayed and are in jeopardy of being scrapped due to the related and unsolved problems surrounding water and excess nutrients. Limited funds have delayed the addressing of this waste issue, however a system that can effectively and economically address excess nutrients, excess wastewater and limited fresh water, and allow carbon capture has the potential to push Concentrated Animal Feed Operations to become sustainable, energy-producing advanced manufacturing facilities. Three primary cycles drive recycling and reuse of all waste – carbon, nitrogen, and water. To beneficially recycle carbon, it is essential that the related concerns of nitrogen and water also be addressed. Nitrogen must be separated from waste and recovered in a manner that does not adversely affect the environment. Water must also be separated from waste and purified sufficiently for beneficial reuse. Beneficial recovery of carbon, nitrogen, and water is necessary if Concentrated Animal Feed Operations are to truly function as advanced manufacturing facilities to produce meat and beneficially recover valuable byproducts. This project will develop a novel treatment system to recycle swine lagoon effluent effectively and reliably for direct reuse as livestock drinking water. The system will also remove pollutants on-site, improving irrigation water quality and quantity, providing a reliable drinking water source for livestock, and significantly reducing watershed nutrient pollution. The system will permit Concentrated Animal Feed Operations to successfully address decarbonization in a comprehensive, integrated waste management system – one that recovers not only carbon, but also beneficially reuses nutrients and recycles water. Phase I feasibility research will focus on three tasks. The first is to design, construct, operate, and test the proposed water recycling system, including optimization and bio-kinetic modeling. The second task will determine swine tolerance for nitrogen in the recycled water by testing the recycled water on swine at a research facility. The third and final task will assess and analyze data from the first two tasks to determine feasibility, create a cost/benefit analysis of the system, and prepare a plan for next steps. Feasibility of the system is for the proposed system to produce a water that, when blended 50/50 with well water, is suitable for use as swine drinking water. The proposed system would be widely applicable in swine production nationally and could be applied to other livestock operations. The primary market would be in the third largest swine producing state, where waste and freshwater problems have combined to create a crisis in the state. This system would also be very attractive to livestock production in the increasingly drought-stricken western areas of the nation. Beyond benefits to swine producers alone, this system will significantly lower environmental pollution, address environmental and social justice issues especially in poor and rural areas, and enhance overall biosecurity.