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Effluent management

Image of an effluent spreaderOn this page: Applying effluent to the land, managing effluent on dairy goat farms, frequently asked questions (FAQ), rules and compliance, trainingupgrading your system,

Applying effluent to the land

Effluent management [PDF, 180 KB]

Applying effluent to the land -Learn more about applying to land and find out the nutrient values of effluent.

Work out effluent application depth - Use the online calculator to work out the effluent application depth you'll need for your farm.

Work out effluent application rates - Use the online calculator to work out the application rates for effluent on your farm.

Soils map tool - Use our mapping tool to help identify the soil risk types on your property.

Managing effluent on dairy goat farms

Guide to managing barn manure on dairy goat farms [PDF, 193 KB]

Guide to managing dairy shed effluent on dairy goat farms [PDF, 198 KB]

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

This document summarises the Waikato Regional Plan in answering the most frequently asked questions around farm dairy effluent (FDE). However, it is important to note that not all the conditions you are required to comply with in the Waikato Regional Plan are covered here.

View or print the FAQ [PDF, 122 KB].

Rules and compliance

Know the rules - Read Waikato Regional Council's rules and regulations for farm animal effluent discharges.

Effluent irrigation rules poster [PDF, 344 KB] - View or print a summary of our effluent irrigation rules. Contact us if you would like a poster-size copy to display in your dairy shed.

Effluent Compliance Checklist - Download and complete a checklist to help you see if your farm is compliant.

Permitted activities

Training in effluent management

Waikato Regional Council encourages continuous development on farm to help ensure good effluent management on farm. Having well trained staff can help with this. 

For farm managers and farm staff


PrimaryITO - course on dairy farm effluent management

PrimaryITO logo

For rural professionals involved in effluent advice and/or effluent systems

Massey University - short course on dairy effluent system design and management

Upgrading your effluent storage facilities

For information regarding the industry codes and standards for effluent system design and a list of accredited system designers:

Farm Dairy Effluent System Design Accreditation Programme

Other useful websites

DairyNZ