Vegetative Treatment Systems

the restored wetland in foreground is a vegetated treatment that removes contaminants such as nitrates and pesticides from agricultural runoff

Vegetative Treatment Systems (VTSs) are designed to infiltrate runoff from feedlots. They are often proposed as an alternative to traditional storage and land application systems. Problems occur however, when rain on a feedlot also saturates the VTS.  Consequently, when the runoff from the feedlot reaches the VTS, the infiltration area may already be saturated.

EPA has provisions to allow discharges of pollutants from an VTS as long as they do not exceed the discharges from a traditional storage facility. To take advantage of this provision, a site specific modeling of the storage facility and of the VTS must be completed and the VTS must be monitored to verify that it is performing as intended. Before implementing a VTS under this provision, there should be consultation with appropriate local regulatory agencies about the potentials and limitations of this technology.
Your contact is William H. Boyd, NRCS Manure Management Team Leader, at 336-370-3334.