Additionally, any manure which is land applied from such a site must be applied in a manner that does not contaminate surface or groundwater. City waste treatment facilities are typically permitted to discharge millions of gallons of nutrient laden effluent streams or other surface waters which contributes to contamination of the surface water and wastes the nutrient resources. Only about 20 percent of all municipal byproducts and residues are recycled 1 . A 2.5 million head pork operation can provide enough nitrogen fertilizer for 335,000 acres of corn, in addition to providing enough pork for more than five million people 9 . This provides an ample base for land application of livestock manure.
Manure can pollute drinking and surface water with nitrates, parasites, bacteria and viruses.
In others, age has taken its toll, resulting in loose or missing caps, corroded or cracked casings, and other defects 13 . Manure stored in the anaerobic condition, which is associated with many concentrated animal feeding operations, does not contain nitrates 9 . Because of cropping schedules, weather and the need to avoid soil compaction, most land application of manure slurry takes place in the fall of the year. Several provinces and organizations such as Carlton Trail REDA, mandate training and certification for pork producers and employees who apply manure fertilizer, but not manufactured fertilizer as party of their training programs. Phosphorus concentrations exceed stream limits recommended by Environment Canada in 75 percent of urban streams sampled but only 25 percent of agricultural streams sampled 3 .