Overland flow, on slopes of 5 and 11%, was used as a means of treating
wastewater effluent from the second cell of a swine waste anaerobic l
agoon system. Wastewater samples from both surface runoff and soil per
colate (depths of 0.3, 0.9, and 1.5 m) were collected and analyzed for
TKN-N, NH4-N, ON-N, NO3-N, pH, COD, K, EC, and TP-P. Using these data
, along with the hydraulic loading rates and quantitative runoff colle
ction, mass balances on the above parameters were calculated to determ
ine the surface treatment of the lagoon effluent. These mass balances
suggest that overland flow is an excellent treatment system for liquid
lagoon effluents with mass reductions of greater than 60% for all par
ameters on both slopes, except NO3-N, which had an approximate increas
e of 1.7 times on the 11% slope. Samples collected from the three lysi
meter depths (soil percolate) suggest that NO3-N leaching from the plo
ts may be a concern over an extended period of use. The runoff from ov
erland flow systems of this type will require further treatment.