MSUcares Extension Header Return to MSUcares Home Page

Mississippi Farm-A-Syst
Handling and Storing Fertilizers

Before Completing Your Self-Assessment

This self-assessment is an important part of the Farm-A-Syst program. This voluntary program helps you evaluate conditions on your farm that could threaten drinking water quality and water quality in lakes, streams, rivers, and other sources. The information on this page tells you why you should use fertilizers properly for water quality, health, and environmental reasons. Read it carefully before completing this self-assessment.

This self-assessment is one in a series of voluntary environmental self-assessments in the Farm-A-Syst program. For a more complete picture of activities or conditions on your farm that could affect water quality, review and complete other Farm-A-Syst and Home-A-Syst environmental self-assessments, available at your county Extension office.

Your responses to this self-assessment are for your use. Although completing it is voluntary, taking a few minutes to respond may help you identify potential areas on your farm that could lead to water quality problems. You may find it useful to involve your spouse and/or children in completing your self-assessment. If you need other help or follow-up information, contact your county Extension office.

Why You Should Be Concerned About Fertilizers

Commercial fertilizers play an important role in agriculture by making possible an abundant food supply. Used properly, fertilizers pose little threat to water quality or the environment. Used improperly, fertilizers can contaminate drinking water and surface waters such as rivers, lakes, and streams. Some fertilizers, such as anhydrous ammonia and ammonium nitrate, require special handling to prevent the possibility of injury or an explosion. These potential impacts are greatly reduced by proper fertilizer handling, use, and storage. Always wear approved protective clothing, and use recommended safety practices when handling fertilizers.

Commercial fertilizers are a source of nitrates. This form of nitrogen can be harmful or even fatal to infants less than 6 months old if consumed in drinking water in amounts higher than the safe drinking water standard of 10 parts per million or 10 milligrams per liter. Although most water quality tests of private wells in Mississippi show nitrate levels below this level, a few cases of higher nitrate levels have been found. High nitrate levels also may harm young livestock, especially if they consume other nitrates in feed. Nitrogen and phosphorus in fertilizer may enter rivers, lakes, and streams and affect fish or wildlife.

Although drinking water contamination from fertilizers is rare in Mississippi, it is possible if a leak, spill, or improper handling allows nitrogen fertilizer to seep into the ground where it may affect the groundwater that supplies drinking water. Frequent small spills in the same place near a well increase the risk of contamination. Like pesticides, liquid fertilizers mixed on the farm may enter a drinking water supply by backflow or backsiphonage, through a poorly sealed well, or through an abandoned well. A failing septic system, animal wastes, improperly disposed animal carcasses, leaking liquids from silage storage areas, and other pollutants also may contaminate drinking water or surface water. Keep all potential contaminants away from wells and surface water sources.

A water quality test, available at sources on the back cover, can reveal whether nitrates above recommended levels are present in drinking water. If your drinking water comes from a private well, it is your responsibility to make sure the water is safe. Do not be alarmed simply because fertilizers are used on your farm or near your home. However, you may want to have your water tested if there is a spill of any contaminant near a well, an unexplained illness, or a change in farm activities that could increase the chances of drinking water contamination.

A Word About Regulations

Although not regulated directly at the farm level, fertilizers can cause pollution to groundwater or surface water in lakes, rivers, streams, and other waters classified as waters of the state. It is illegal to pollute groundwater or surface waters with any pollutant. The possibility of a spill or accident is another reason to use fertilizers and all potential contaminants safely. Although bulk delivery has reduced the need for on-farm fertilizer mixing and bagged products, paper bags are used on some farms. Do not burn or bury empty bags and containers; ask your landfill operator about taking them to the landfill. If fertilizers are blended with pesticides, the mixture is considered a pesticide and should be used according to label directions.

Consider developing an emergency response plan so you will know what to do in case of a fertilizer or chemical spill, fire, or other emergency. For information on controlling a spill or to report a spill, call the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality at (601) 961-5171 or (601) 352-9100. For more information about fertilizers, contact your county Extension office.

Understanding Your Self-Assessment

Your drinking water and other water sources are least likely to be contaminated by fertilizers if you use as many of the low-risk practices in this self-assessment as possible. You may be unable to use all low-risk practices, but use as many as is practical to protect your water quality and health, as well as the water quality and health of others. As you complete your self-assessment, do not be alarmed if you check several or even many high-risk statements. This does not automatically mean your farm has water quality problems. It could, however, tell you that attention may be needed to avoid potential problems.

Directions

Each set of statements shows the level of risk to your drinking water quality or other environmental risks associated with that activity or condition. Please read all statements in each set, and check the ranking that best describes conditions on your farm. Remember, your goal is to apply as many low-risk practices as possible.

Level of risk

Low ( ) You reduce the amount of fertilizers stored by buying only the amount needed for an application. You buy an additional product only when needed.

Medium ( ) You usually buy the product amounts needed for an application, but sometimes you buy more than you can use when you find "specials."

High ( ) You usually don't check to see what fertilizer is on hand before buying, or you have fertilizer left over after an application or a production season.

Low ( ) You store less than 1 ton of dry fertilizer or less than 55 gallons of liquid fertilizer on your farm.

Medium ( ) You store from 1 to 20 tons of dry fertilizer or 55 to 1,500 gallons of liquid fertilizer on your farm.

High ( ) You store more than 20 tons of dry fertilizer or more than 1,500 gallons of liquid fertilizer on your farm.

Low ( ) You store dry fertilizer on your farm in a building with a concrete floor that is more than 100 feet from a well or surface water.

Medium ( ) You store dry fertilizer on your farm in a building with a wooden or hard clay floor that is at least 100 feet from a well or surface water.

High ( ) You store dry fertilizer on your farm uncovered in the open and less than 100 feet from a well or surface water.

Low ( ) Any liquid fertilizer storage facility on your farm has a curbed concrete containment pad to keep spills from entering the soil and is more than 100 feet from a well or surface water.

Medium ( ) Any liquid fertilizer storage facility on your farm has a concrete or clay containment pad where most of a spill can be recovered and is at least 100 feet from a well or surface water.

High ( ) Any liquid fertilizer storage facility on your farm is on gravel or sandy soil where spills can enter the soil and is less than 100 feet from a well or surface water.

Low ( ) The area you use to store fertilizers (all types) is fenced, locked, and separate from all other activities. Valves on any bulk containers are locked.

Medium ( ) You sometimes leave the area you use to store fertilizers open to activities that could damage containers or spill fertilizer.

High ( ) You store fertilizers in an area that is open to theft, vandalism, and children, or there are no locks on valves on any bulk containers, or you store other products or house livestock in the storage area.

Low ( ) You mix, load, and handle all fertilizers more than 100 feet from a well or surface water. You clean up immediately any spills or leaks.

Medium ( ) You usually mix, load, and handle fertilizers at least 100 feet from a well or surface water. You clean up immediately most spills or leaks.

High ( ) You mix, load, and handle any fertilizers less than 100 feet from a well or surface water. Spills or leaks are frequent, or you clean them up late or not at all.

Low ( ) If a liquid fertilizer mixing/handling system on your farm is connected to a water supply, you prevent fertilizer from backflowing into the water supply by using a check valve. Any fertilizer applied by irrigation has specialized backflow prevention equipment.

Medium ( ) Your liquid fertilizer mixing/handling system has no check valve, but you prevent backflow by maintaining an air gap or separation between the water supply and the fertilizer product.

High ( ) You have no check valve on your liquid fertilizer mixing/handling system, and you do not maintain an air space or separation between the water supply and the fertilizer product, or you use improper backflow equipment when applying fertilizer by irrigation.

Low ( ) When filling liquid fertilizer application equipment, you stay at the site from start to finish in case there are leaks, spills, or other problems.

Medium ( ) You stay in the immediate area when filling liquid fertilizer application equipment to handle quickly any leaks, spills, or other problems.

High ( ) You leave the immediate area temporarily when filling liquid fertilizer application equipment and return when you think equipment is filled or nearly filled.

Low ( ) You maintain a buffer area of at least 100 feet between fertilizer application areas and a well or surface water.

Medium ( ) You maintain a buffer area of 50 to 100 feet between fertilizer application areas and a well or surface water.

High ( ) You maintain little or no buffer area between fertilizer application areas and a well or surface water.

Low ( ) You annually inspect any well near fertilizer handling and application areas, and the well is in good condition. No abandoned wells are on your farm or property.

Medium ( ) You check any well near fertilizer handling and application areas every 2 or 3 years, and the well is in good condition. Any abandoned well is properly sealed.

High ( ) You seldom or never check a well near fertilizer handling and application areas, or a well has a cracked casing or is poorly sealed, or an abandoned, unsealed well is on your farm or property.

Low ( ) You reduce the number of empty fertilizer bags or containers that must be disposed of by using products in minibulk or returnable containers or by using custom application.

Medium ( ) You use most fertilizer products in minibulk or returnable containers.

High ( ) You use most or all fertilizer in bags or containers that require special handling before proper disposal.

Low ( ) You dispose of empty fertilizer bags or containers by taking them to an approved landfill.

Medium ( ) You dispose of empty fertilizer bags or containers by storing them in a building or under cover at least 100 feet from a well or surface water.

High ( ) You dispose of empty fertilizer bags or containers by storing or burying them on the farm less than 100 feet from a well or surface water, or you dump or burn empty bags or containers in the open.

Bold type means that, in addition to being a high-risk practice, this activity violates water quality or environmental laws.

For More Information

Water quality testing

Your county health department (bacteria testing)

or

A private water testing laboratory (contact your county health department or county Extension office for references)

or

The Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory
P.O. Box CR
Mississippi State, MS 39762
(601) 325-3324

Emergency chemical spills

Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Office of Pollution Control
P.O. Box 10385
Jackson, MS 39289-0385
(601) 961-5171 or (601) 352-9100

Sealing an abandoned well

A licensed well driller

or

Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Office of Land and Water Resources
P.O. Box 10631
Jackson, MS 39289-0631
(601) 961-5200

For more information on fertilizers and water quality, contact your county Extension office.

This publication is based on work by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Extension Service, under special project number 90-EHUA-1-0014

By Dr. Jimmy Bonner, Farm-A-Syst program coordinator, Energy Extension Center, in cooperation with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality

Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status. Publication 1980
Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. Ronald A. Brown, Director

Copyright by Mississippi State University. All rights reserved.

This document may be copied and distributed for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University Extension Service. 
A black line that separates the body text from footer information