MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday 18 November 2010

Environmental break through recognised nationally

A break through project, designed to improve water quality and protect the environment is in the running for a national innovation award.

Horizons Regional Council staff have teamed with Massey University to create a Pond Size Calculator, which has been named a finalist in the 2010 ALGIM (Association of Local Government Information Management) Excellence in Innovation Awards, recognising ground-breaking council projects.

The Pond Size Calculator enables farmers to test a variety of potential scenarios to work out how much dairy shed effluent they can safely store in their pond without risk of it overflowing into waterways during prolonged heavy rain.

The calculator uses information specific to each farm including climate, soil type, herd size, milking practices and storm water management to work out how much effluent storage space that farm will need.

Horizons science manager Jon Roygard said the tool is there to help farmers achieve best practice for dairy-shed-effluent management.

"The tool can be used by farmers to customise an effluent-management system for their farm, including the pond size, to ensure effluent can be stored when conditions aren't suitable to spread it onto land.

''The calculator has now been used by nine regional councils throughout the country and by the dairy industry and effluent system designers.''

The ALGIM winners will be announced on Tuesday 23 November.

ENDS

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