Slurry storage

Tips, tools and advice on slurry storage to help livestock farmers reduce costs, add value and protect the environment.

This information will help ensure that the slurry store on your farm is practical, safe, and legally compliant. Key points to consider are:

• How much storage do you require?
• Have you taken action to reduce the amount of slurry you produce?
• Do you have the necessary permissions?

Slurry stores need to be big enough to get you through winter. This video, from AHDB, the Environment Agency, Catchment Sensitive Farming and Severn Trent, explains how to calculate how much storage you need.

Slurry stores can pose a risk to the environment and cause a statutory nuisance to the public. Therefore, it is important to choose the right location for your store and gain the correct legal permissions before it is constructed. You must find out about your legal responsibilities when constructing a new store or altering an existing one.

Health and safety incidents involving slurry stores occur regularly on UK farms. Find out how to follow the appropriate safety measures for your slurry store to avoid injury or even death.

When it comes to storing slurry, there are different types of stores available. Compare the pros and cons of different store types before deciding which type of store would be most appropriate for you.

Find information on upcoming legislation for covering slurry stores. Compare different cover types and the practical benefits they can provide.

It is a legal requirement, under several regulations, that you have sufficient slurry storage for your farm system. These regulations differ between England, Scotland and Wales, but the primary reason is to protect human health and the environment.

AHDB’s Slurry wizard enables you to work out your slurry storage requirements and explore different storage scenarios to comply with regulations. Slurry wizard is most suitable for dairy farmers.

Cooling slurry in storage can reduce ammonia emissions by up to 75%, and the heat extracted can be used for other purposes such as heating water or livestock housing. 

Catchment Sensitive Farming can help farmers in priority areas with advice and grants to improve slurry management. 

The Environment Agency regulates slurry stores in England under SSAFO and NVZ regulations. Contact details below:

• Email: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
• Call: 03708 506 506

STEPS is part of Severn Trent’s Farming 4 Water catchment management programme. Farmers can apply to fund environmental projects from the pre-defined list of funding options which are match-funded up to £5,000 per application.

Gov.uk outlines the regulations around slurry storage and management: