Successfully managing Farm Dairy Effluent (FDE) in New Zealand with GeoGard EPDM

The New Zealand dairy industry has a population of almost 5 million milking cows and represents a major part of the country’s economy. Farm dairy effluent (FDE) includes wastewater and washdown from places where livestock are kept in large numbers. When managed well, FDE can increase pasture production and reduce fertilizer costs. Poorly managed effluent, on the other hand, poses an environmental and business risk, as raw effluent entering waterways can have detrimental effects on human health and water quality. 

The New Zealand dairy industry has a population of almost 5 million milking cows and represents a major part of the country’s economy. Farm dairy effluent (FDE) includes wastewater and washdown from places where livestock are kept in large numbers. When managed well, FDE can increase pasture production and reduce fertilizer costs. Poorly managed effluent, on the other hand, poses an environmental and business risk, as raw effluent entering waterways can have detrimental effects on human health and water quality.

New Zealand’s dairy farmers face two main challenges to ensure that high local compliance standards of effluent management are delivered consistently and effectively the whole year. The first challenge is the regulatory compliance guidelines set by local and regional councils, as well as increasing regulatory measures surrounding freshwater quality. The second challenge are the adverse environmental effects on the farmer’s land and stock caused by overloading key nutrients into the soil when dispersing effluents.

Correctly designing and installing FDE ponds and structures, as well as choosing the right geomembrane to waterproof them, are key to delivering an efficient dairy effluent management throughout the year.

In collaboration with our local network of authorized installers and partners, we offer the perfect partnership for New Zealand dairy farmers thanks to their extensive experience and strong understanding of local regulatory policies.

Elevate GeoGard EPDM, recognized for its reliability and durability, is the lining membrane of choice for FDE ponds. Its chemical composition and the fact that it is vulcanized gives it unmatched resistance to UV, ozone and extreme weather conditions. This exceptional durability makes it suitable for installation in different environments. The high flexibility of GeoGard EPDM also allows it to absorb movements of the substrate such as earthquakes, which are a common occurrence in New Zealand.

A typical FDE pond waterproofed with large GeoGard EPDM panels (up to 15.25 m wide) can be installed 2 to 3 times faster than with other lining membranes. The key benefits to dairy farmers include reduced overall costs, less risk of installation disruption and remobilizing to the site, easier winter installation with quick completion in tight construction windows. In addition, high-quality seaming between membrane panels can be easily done without the need of specialized equipment.

Elevate’ internal standards are rigorous and have been developed from years of international experience in many diverse and challenging circumstances. When choosing GeoGard EPDM, farmers can be confident that they are getting a high-quality and durable waterproofing product with excellent international backup from a global and trusted name.