Ever wonder where the poop goes when you pull the handle to dump your waste tanks? If you camp at the Jellystone Park in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, it goes to the farmer next door. But don’t worry, you can keep the windows open. It doesn’t stink.
Farmer needs irrigation water; RV park needs to dispose of sewage
Ben Flahart is a Quarryville farmer who runs an operation right next door to a Jellystone-branded RV park. Like any farmer, he needs water for irrigation, and like any RV park, Jellystone needs a place to get rid of its sewage. And so a marriage takes place in the septic tank.
Jellystone Park’s owners recently installed a highly advanced wastewater treatment plant. Black water, gray water, any wastewater that needs treatment goes into the Jellystone system. What comes out of the other end is pure enough to dump in a stream (but it doesn’t do that). The farmer uses RVers’ treated liquids to irrigate crops.
Wastewater management
“This innovative system will support the local agricultural community in Quarryville,” said Shannon Sullivan, chief construction officer at Northgate Resorts. “By replacing the traditional drain field with a modern sewer system, we’re ensuring efficient wastewater management and a commitment to sustainability.”
The treatment system uses an environmentally friendly biological treatment process. That breaks down the waste, requiring minimal chemicals in the process. After treatment, the clean water is pumped to a large holding tank on Farmer Flahart’s farm. From there, Flahart intermittently sprays it over his fields using a large central pivot irrigation system. The system operates like a sprinkler, ensuring even water distribution across the crops.
Resist the urge to go “Ugh!” and to steer away from the local farmer’s market. Farmer Flahart doesn’t spray the treated wastewater directly on crops used for human consumption.
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Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 Interesting. If he doesn’t spray it on his row crops sold as produce, then he might run beef cattle and use it on his pastures and hayfields. Alternately he might use it on hayfields and sell hay to local farmers running cows or to stables and people with horses. Interesting. Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
That’s a win win situation for the park, rvers, the farmer, and the local waste water plant which doesn’t have to deal with the rvpark waste.
A farming third cousin went to the city sewer treatment plant and got sludge to spray on the pasture. Cows were rotated between multiple fields as the grass got short so it had time to dry.