United States Department of Agriculture 629-CPS-1

NRCS, NHCP

September 2020

NRCS reviews and periodically updates conservation practice standards. To obtain the current 

version of this standard, contact your Natural Resources Conservation Service State office or 

visit the Field Office Technical Guide online by going to the NRCS website at 

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ and type FOTG in the search field. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Natural Resources Conservation Service 

CONSERVATION PRACTICE STANDARD 

WASTE TREATMENT 

CODE 629 

(no)

DEFINITION 

Use of mechanical, chemical, or biological technologies to change the characteristics of manure and

agricultural waste. 

PURPOSE 

This practice is used to achieve one or more of the following purposes: 

• Improve water quality in surface and ground water by better management of excess nutrients from

manure or agricultural waste 

• Improve air quality by reducing particulate and greenhous gas emissions and objectionable odors

from manure or agricultural waste 

• Facilitate desirable handling and storage properties of manure or agricultural waste 

• Convert manure and other agricultural waste into organic amendment beneficial to soil health 

CONDITIONS WHERE PRACTICE APPLIES 

This practice applies to all land uses where manure and/or agricultural waste is being generated and

where soils, geology, and topography are suitable for construction of the planned waste treatment system.

This practice is used where surface and groundwater need to be protected as potential sources of drinking

water and where degradation of water quality will impact the intended use of surface and ground waters.

The practice is also used where improvements are needed to air quality to reduce air emissions and

odors. This practice does not apply to waste treatment systems that fall under the scope of other currently

accepted conservation practice standards. 

CRITERIA 

General Criteria Applicable to All Purposes 

Laws and regulations 

Plan, design, and construct the waste treatment facility to meet all Federal, State, Tribal, and local laws

and regulations. 

Locate utilities 

Prior to construction, instruct the contractor to locate all buried utilities applicable to the project area,

including drainage tile and other structural measures. Plan the site construction to protect natural

resources and accommodate existing utilities. 

Location 

Locate the waste treatment facility as near the source of waste to be treated as practicable and as far as

possible from neighboring dwellings, public or private water supply sources, critical aquifer protection

areas, or public use areas. 
Locate and design the waste treatment system such that it is outside the 100-year floodplain unless site

restrictions require locating it within the floodplain. If located in the floodplain, protect the facility from

inundation or damage from a 25-year flood event. Additionally, follow the policy found in the NRCS

General Manual (GM) (Title 190), Part 410, Subpart B, Section 410.25, “Flood Plain Management,” which

may require providing additional protection for storage structures located within the floodplain. 

Manure or agricultural waste characteristics 

A waste treatment system may require specific total solids and nutrient contents of the waste stream.

Pretreatment options such as dilution or settling may be necessary to adjust the solids content before

entering the waste treatment system. Ensure the treatment system design can handle the specific total

solids and nutrient content of the waste stream. 

Design documentation 

The provider of the planned waste treatment technology will supply to NRCS and the client or decision

maker a complete detailed design of the systems and treatment process that clearly identifies the

objectives and anticipated outcomes of implementing the waste treatment. 

Design documentation must include appropriate system and process diagrams with operation and

treatment technology guidelines, containing at a minimum— 

• Waste processing rates including input, treatment stages, and portions of waste recycled. 

• Waste load projections including volume, mass, and characteristics of the waste important to the

waste treatment facility or process. 

• Unit process volumes and hydraulic retention times where appropriate. 

• Adequately size the waste treatment system and backup capacity to store accumulated waste

during operation and potential repairs following a shutdown event. Waste storage size (tanks,

ponds, and pits) must be based on worst-case scenario for expected down-time due to

maintenance and repair. 

• Air emissions such as green house gas and ammonia projections from the system. 

• Nutrient fate projections within the treatment system. 

• Process monitoring and control system requirements as described in the Monitoring Criteria

section. 

• Operating and maintenance tasks and schedule to provide the service life as expected in the

system performance. 

• Troubleshooting guide for waste treatment facility operators. 

Components 

Waste treatment facilities and processes may consist of multiple components. Where criteria for individual

components are described in other NRCS CPSs, use those CPSs and their criteria for planning,

designing, and installation of such components. 

Where components of a facility or process are not described in other NRCS CPSs, the system provider

will furnish a minimum one-year warranty on all construction, equipment, and applied waste treatment

components and systems. 

Expected system performance 

The provider of the waste treatment technology will clearly document to NRCS and the client or decision

maker the expected system performance prior to system installation. The technology provider will provide

the characteristics of the influent waste stream important to the waste treatment process. At a minimum,

the technology provider will document all expected system volumetric flow rates, macronutrient reductions

or changes in macronutrient form, expected pathogen reductions, and decreases or increases of

emissions of particulate matter, ammonia, volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), hydrogen

sulfide, methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. 

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Where use of a waste treatment facility or process to improve one resource concern, such as water

quality, negatively impacts another, such as air quality/odor, document the strategy to address the impacts

and mitigation measures such as installation of vegetative barriers or timing of treatment to minimize

impacts. 

Operating costs 

The provider of the planned waste treatment system will supply to NRCS and the client or decisionmaker

an estimate of the annual operating costs. Include the costs for time, labor, energy, supplies, chemicals,

and equipment requirements for each component of the waste treatment system. Identify any operating

costs in the estimate not based on actual cost data. 

Operating benefits 

The provider of the planned waste treatment system will supply to NRCS and the client or decisionmaker

a separate list of the benefits or savings the waste treatment will have on waste management operations. 

Monitoring 

Identify, design, and install the necessary monitoring methods and equipment to control, optimize, and

maintain the waste treatment system and processes. Include critical recordkeeping tasks for all

necessary system monitoring as specified in the operation and maintenance plan. 

Handling and storage 

Handle and store all byproducts to prevent exposure to hazardous or flammable material or odor

nuisances to neighbors and the public at large. 

Safety 

• Include safety features in the design to minimize hazards. 

• Document identified hazard prevention in the operation and maintenance plan. 

• Provide guards and shields for moving parts of the equipment used in the facilities. 

• Install exclusion fences and post warning signs where needed to prevent unauthorized entry by

people or livestock. 

• Design and install adequate building ventilation or removal and containment of dangerous gases. 

Waste treatment performance technical review 

The waste treatment technology provider must supply verification from an independent third-party source

of the expected waste treatment system performance related to changes in form, nutrient fate projections,

macronutrient reductions, pathogen reductions, and air emissions (particulate matter, ammonia, volatile

organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), hydrogen sulfide, methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon

dioxide). Third-party verification sources can include a university, research center, or other accredited

entities that have papers on the technology published in peer-reviewed journals, to document the

effectiveness of the technology to achieve its intended purpose. Information must provide certifiable data

demonstrating performance results of the use of the treatment system or process in similar situations and

locations. If available, also document the effectiveness of the same treatment technology under different

climatic factors. 

Byproducts 

Implementation of the waste treatment process or the operation of a waste treatment facility must not

harm the environment with the handling or discharge of waste byproducts. The facility plan will include a

listing of any permits or permissions required for byproduct disposal. 

Byproducts utilized on cropland for plant nutrients must meet the criteria in NRCS CPS Nutrient

Management (Code 590). 

When not land applied, recycle the waste treatment byproducts to the extent possible. 

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Unmarketable/unusable byproducts must be minimized to the extent practicable and disposed of in

accordance with all applicable Federal, State, Tribal, and local laws and regulations. Prepare a plan for

regulatory approval for dealing with unmarketable byproducts prior to utilization of the process or

installation of the waste treatment facility. 

CONSIDERATIONS 

General Considerations 

Location 

Consider elevation and slope for gravity flow, transfer distance, vehicle access, wind direction, proximity to

streams, water bodies, flood plains, and public visibility. 

Visual screening 

Consider the visual impact of the waste treatment facility or process within the overall landscape context.

Use vegetative plantings, landforms, and other measures to alleviate a negative impact or enhance the

view. 

PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS 

Prepare plans and specifications for waste treatment facilities in accordance with the criteria of this

standard and good engineering practices. 

As a minimum, in the plans and specifications provide— 

• Layout and installation details of livestock facilities, waste collection points, waste transfer

components, waste treatment, and storage facilities with supporting documentation. 

• Location of all inflow and discharge pipelines, pipeline materials, and pipe diameter, slope, and

appurtenances. 

• Required properties of any locally sourced materials such as sand or gravel used in the treatment

processes. 

• Details of structural support systems for all components of the treatment facility. 

• Fencing and signage as appropriate for safety purposes. 

• Required tests of the treated waste as appropriate for confirmation of treatment effectiveness. 

• Other plans to manage the system including a nutrient management plan for proper land

application of byproducts if applicable. 

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE 

Develop an operation and maintenance (O&M) plan and review it with the client or decision maker prior to

construction of the innovative waste treatment facility or waste treatment process. Ensure the O&M plan is

compatible with the proper operation of all associated system components and contains requirements

including but not limited to— 

• Recommended loading rates of the waste treatment facility or process for hydraulic and critical

pollutant parameters. 

• Proper operating procedures for the waste treatment facility or process, including the amount and

timing of any chemicals added. 

• Operation and maintenance manuals for pumps, blowers, instrumentation and control devices, and

other equipment used as components of the waste treatment facility or process. 

• Description of the planned startup and shutdown procedures, normal operation, safety issues, and

normal maintenance items. 

• Alternative operation procedures in the event of equipment failure. 

• Troubleshooting guide. 

• Monitoring and reporting plan designed to demonstrate system performance on an ongoing basis. 

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• The service life of each component as identified by the component manufacturer or system

provider. The minimum service life for the waste treatment facility or process is 10 years. Where

components have less than a 10-year service life, clearly identify their planned replacement

schedule. 

• Provision of personal protective equipment and clothing for proper handling of hazardous materials

by workers, and worker training regarding the proper procedures for these environments and

associated tasks. 

• Carrying out all treatment processes in accordance with safety regulations established by

Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other pertinent regulatory agencies. 

REFERENCES 

USDA NRCS. 2010. General Manual (Title 190), Part 410, Compliance with NEPA. Washington, D.C.

https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/

USDA NRCS. 2012. National Engineering Handbook (Title 210), Part 651, Agricultural Waste

Management Field Handbook. Washington, D.C. https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/

USDA NRCS. 2017. National Engineering Manual (Title 210). Washington, D.C.

https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/

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NRCS, NHCP

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September 2020