Pesticide handling areas and biobeds

Ve r1.4

Pe s tic ide Handling Are as
and Bio be ds
A pre s e ntatio n fo r farme rs ,
o pe rato rs and advis e rs
CAUTION
Seek Regulatory Advice
Before Building a Biobed
Contact the Environment Agency's
Agricultural Waste Line for advice

0845 6033113

De ve lo pe d fo r the Cro p Pro te c tio n As s o c iatio n and Ag ric ultural Indus trie s
Co nfe de ratio n by ADAS . The as s is tanc e o f the Enviro nme nt Ag e nc y, S EPA &
the Farming Unio ns is als o ac kno wle dg e d. This is part o f the vo luntary
initiative to minimis e the e nviro nme ntal impac t o f pe s tic ide s


2

Co nte nts
 Main issues
 Options for Pesticide Handling Areas
 Sizing
 Management and operation
 Likely costs
 Final water disposal

3

Bac kg ro und
 Hig h le ve ls o f s o me pe s tic ide s have be e n fo und in
s urfac e wate r
 In UK wate r c o mpanie s no w ne e d to mix o r tre at wate r
to c o mply with the EC Drinking Wate r Dire c tive
 S praye r us e , and in partic ular pe s tic ide handling are as ,
c an be a s ig nific ant s o urc e o f wate r c o ntaminatio n.
 The Wate r Frame wo rk Dire c tive ide ntifie s prio rity
s ubs tanc e s and the ne e d to me e t g o o d e c o lo g ic al
s tatus thus indic ating a furthe r ne e d fo r c o mplianc e .


S o urc e s o f pe s tic ide s in the e nviro nme nt
S o urc e s o f pe s tic ide s in the e nviro nme nt

De po s itio n
Atmo s phe ric
o utput,
vo latilis atio n

Re s idue s in s o il,
wate r, c ro p, fo o d,
live s to c k,wildlife

Cro p pro te c tio n
pro duc ts

Le ac hing

to g ro undwate r

Ve te rinary
me dic ine s

Drainag e /
runo ff to
s urfac e
wate rs

Bio c ide s

Bo re ho le

Re s idue s in wate r
s e dime nts /bio ta
Bio c ide s

Co ns e nte d
dis c harg e s

Garde n &
ame nity
pe s tic ide s


5

Catc hme nt S tudie s
 In UK, Ge rmany and S we de n

– 20-70% pesticide load in surface water catchment is
derived from point sources

 UK - Rive r Che rwe ll s tudy 1998-2000
– Funded by Bayer CropScience (UK) Ltd
– 40% of catchment pesticide load originated from
concrete handling/washdown area


6

Pe s tic ide s in wate r:
s o urc e s o f c o ntaminatio n
Pe s tic ide s in wate r

Diffus e

Po int S o urc e

No n-c ro p us e

drift

tank filling

ro ads

drainflo w

was te dis po s al

pave me nts

s urfac e flo w

was hing s

railways

inte rflo w/bas e
s e e pag e
le ac hing

faulty e quipme nt o the r hard
s urfac e s
s pillag e s
ame nity are as


7

S o urc e s o f Farmyard
Pe s tic ide Po llutio n
Spillage while
mixing

28 %
8%

12 %

Tank Rinse
Water
Foil Seals
Mud from tractor
wheels

17 %
10 %

25 %

Results from Year 1 Aventis Cherwell Study
Bayer CropScience Cherwell Study

Tractor exterior
washings
Spillage of container
washings


8
Co nc re te Filling Are as

Typic al c o nc re te
filling are as
s ho wing
c o ntaminatio n and
run o ff

9

Be s t Prac tic e - Aims
 Minimis e c o ntaminatio n inc ide nts thro ug h g o o d
o pe ratio nal ro utine
– Limit c o ntaminatio n s pre ad fro m inadve rte nt ac tio ns
– Minimis e wate r vo lume s (rain and was hing s ) o n handling
are a
– S to re e mpty c o ntaine rs s afe ly and uprig ht afte r us e
– Dis po s e o f c o ntaine rs fre que ntly and s afe ly as pe rmitte d.

Thro ug h be s t prac tic e
pesticide contamination of water from
handling areas can be reduced
by as much as 99%
Always c o mply with advic e
in Co de s o f Prac tic e


10

S praye r lo ading are a - Optio ns
 Co nc re te
– with / without portable bund
– with permanent bund
» drained to sump
» drained to treatment -biobed or chemical

 S o il / g ras s

 Drive o ve r s ys te m
» drained to sump
» drained to treatment - biobed or chemical


11

Co nc re te
 Po rtable bund
– localises any spills
– collect and transfer back to sprayer tank.

 Pe rmane nt bund
– ensure area does not receive other drainage water
– construct a 100mm lip/bund around filling area
– Direct drainage off concrete away from normal drains to...
Co ntainme nt
Minimise rainfall
Match tank size
to collection quantities
Dis po s al
Tre atme nt
through a licensed
Consider a Biobed
disposal contractor..


12

Po rtable Bund

Available fro m
www.s pills ave .c o .uk


13

Ho me made S plas h Catc he r


14

S o il / Gras s
 Whe re s ite allo ws , filling the s praye r o ve r a pe rme able
s urfac e c an be us e ful. Natural bre akdo wn o f the
pe s tic ide s is ac hie ve d by mic ro bial ac tio n in the s o il
 BUT
– Site >10m away from field drains and
watercourses;>50m from springs, wells and boreholes
– Prevent soil compaction by use of drive over grid or
hardcore
– May need to move site around periodically if compaction
occurs
– Avoid use on heavy clay


15

Handling Are a - with a bio be d
 A well planned, designed and operated area linked

to a biobed will allow pesticides to be retained and
degraded by a considerable amount (10,000
-100,000 fold reduction)
 A pesticide handling area (mixing and sprayer
loading only) may be linked to a biobed without the
need for a Groundwater Authorisation from the
local environment agency.(See sprayer washing
note on next slide)


16

S praye r Was hdo wn - Special note
 Be s t Prac tic e fo r tank was hing s and s praye r
e xte rio r s urfac e s is to c arry this o ut in the fie ld
– Any washings should be discharged onto the previously
sprayed cropped area
– Observing maximum dose for that area
– Follow Statutory (Green) Code advice

If s praye r was hdo wn is inte nde d at the pe s tic ide handling
are a with dis po s al to land e ls e whe re , unle s s a line d
bio be d is be ing us e d, a Gro undwate r Autho ris atio n mus t be
o btaine d fro m the yo ur lo c al e nviro nme nt ag e nc y


17

Biobe ds and The Law
 EA and S EPA s uppo rt Line d Bio be ds as

s ig nific ant impro ve me nt o ve r c urre nt
prac tic e

 NEW Re g ulato ry advic e fo r Eng land
and Wale s fro m EA
– Groundwater Authorisation (GWA) not required for
lined Biobed
– Water from lined Biobed can be “irrigated” or reused without GWA
– Site will have to be registered with EA in the future
but is expected that registration will be free and can
be done on line

– Scotland check with SEPA
– Northern Ireland check with EHS


Biobe ds
De s ig n, Co ns truc tio n, Us e and
Mainte nanc e


19

Bio be d S ys te m Co mpo ne nts
1 An are a (bunde d) whe re the s praye r s tands
2 Drainag e fro m that are a to a bio be d
3 The bio be d
4 Drainag e fro m the bio be d
• either direct to the soil
• or to a designated disposal area

20

Bio be d De s ig n Type s
 Offset - the sprayer mixing and loading area is
separate from the biobed area
– Features:
• Bunded concrete,
• Slope of 1:100 to silt trap
• Drain - to supply biobed

 Direct - the sprayer mixing and loading area is directly
over the biobed area
– Features
• Direct - bunded
• Steel drive over grid or wheel tracks


21

Pe s tic ide Handling Are as
linke d to Bio be ds
 What do the de s ig ns lo o k like ?
– Offs e t - A separate area,
bunded concrete, where the
sprayer stands and any
liquids drain to a biobed
– Dire c t - A drive over grid all
liquids drain directly to the

biobed below the grid.

 Bo th de s ig ns may us e

line d o r unline d bio be ds ;
but o nly line d bio be ds are
s uitable fo r was hdo wn


22

S uitable fo r
OFFS ET LINED was
h do wn if
with dis po s al are a Re g is te re d
Offs e t Bio be d with Dis po s al Are a

Bunde d are a
Dis po s al by drip
o r s prinkle r
Turf o ve r

BIOBED
LINER
Pump


23

DRIVE OVER LINED

-with dis po s al are a
Dire c t Line d Bio be d with drive o ve r

Turf over

S te e l
Grid

BIOBED
Line
r

Pump

S uitable fo r
was h do wn if
Re g is te re d

Dis po s al by drip
o r s prinkle r


24

Lo c atio n.. Lo c atio n.. Lo c atio n..
 Close to sprayer water filling point, chemical
store and electricity supply
 Away from other traffic / access routes,
footpaths etc.
 Avoiding collecting extra rainfall - check yard

contours, other drain routes and overflow
issues
 Separate from other drains / watercourses
(>10m;>50m)

 Groundwater Risks?


25

Pe s ticide Handling Are a Dimensions
Co nc re te
pad

W

L
300 mm
Bund
100 mm

Drain via
s ilt trap to
pump
c hambe r

W = S praye r
trans po rt
width + 2 m
L = S praye r

le ng th + 1.5
m