California Dairies with Anaerobic Digesters, California, 2009, CWRCB
Description
According to the State of California Water Quality Control Board, dairies are one of agriculture's most significant sources of water pollution. Dairy waste threatens the quality of drinking water for up to 20 million Californians. The pollution created by dairies comes primarily from manure. Across California, dairy cows create more than 65 billion pounds of manure per year. Even when excess manure is used as fertilizer, this waste runs off fields into California's waterways, eventually contaminating aquatic habitats and public water sources. A major source of reactive organic gases, dairy manure also contributes to air pollution.