Completed earth-banked slurry lagoon at South Otterington with excavator on the bank

ExpertiseSlurry lagoons

Slurry lagoon construction

Earth-banked slurry lagoons and stores, built across Yorkshire.

What we do

We excavate and form earth-banked slurry lagoons and stores on working farms. That is the bulk excavation, forming and compacting the banks, and shaping the base and sides to the design. We put in access ramps for the machines and for emptying later, and we organise the work so the farm can keep running around us.

What's involved

01 /Site visit and accessWe come to the farm, look at where the store will sit, and agree how the machines get in and out. Livestock, tankers and day-to-day traffic still need a way through.
02 /ExcavationBulk excavation of the lagoon. Topsoil is kept apart from the material used in the banks, and spoil is placed where the design and the farm need it.
03 /Bank construction and compactionBanks built from suitable material won on site, placed and compacted so they hold the profile in the specification.
04 /Shaping and finishing to specBase, sides and banks trimmed to the levels and slopes in the design, ready for the next stage of the job.
05 /Preparation for lining where requiredWhere the specification includes a liner, the base and sides are prepared for it, following the preparation the design sets out.
06 /ReinstatementTracks, working areas and ground opened up for the job put back so the farm can use them again.

Working to your design

We carry out the excavation and earthworks. We work to your engineer's or designer's specification and can work alongside them on site.

What to think about

01 /Storage capacityThe store needs to suit the herd and the storage period the holding has to provide. Stock numbers, how the yards are managed, and rainfall on the dirty area all change the volume required.
02 /Siting and access for emptyingIt has to sit where it can be emptied. Tankers and pumps need a way in, including in winter, without crossing clean yards or blocking the buildings.
03 /Clean and dirty waterClean water from roofs and clean yards should be kept separate from dirty water off scraped yards, silage and the parlour. Rain that runs into the store takes up space. Dirty water that misses the store still has to be dealt with.
04 /Notifying the Environment AgencyNew or substantially altered slurry stores must be notified to the Environment Agency under the SSAFO regulations (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil).