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Solid Waste Storage Facilities

A Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training article about the benefits of solid waste storage facilities, available options, management practices, and additional resources.

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Updated:

September 4, 2026

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Roofed dry stack manure storage. Photo credit: Blair County Conservation District

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In the production of food, fiber, and energy, farms also produce various forms of waste that must be managed. Solid wastes, such as manure or waste feed, can be handled in ways that maximize benefit to the farm system. By storing the material on site, the valuable nutrients the waste contains can be applied to crop systems at the right time.

Do you notice any of these issues on the farm?

Lack of a stabilized storage area for manure or used bedding
Overflow of existing solid waste storage structures
Waste reaching surface or groundwater

Pile of manure and bedding stacked in a muddy horse pasture with horses. — Manure being stacked and stored in unstabilize conditions can cause water quality impairments. Photo credit: Chris Canfield, CACAT.

Solid waste storage facilities can support conservation

In the production of food, fiber, and energy, farms also produce various forms of waste that must be managed. Solid wastes made of natural material, such as manure or livestock bedding, can be dealt with in a way that maximizes benefit to the farm system by storing it until it can either be repurposed in fields, or cleaned and reused. Solid waste storage facilities are engineered structures that provide a stabilized area for the long-term storage of solid waste.

Solid waste storage facilities have many benefits

Improved management of natural solid wastes
Ability to apply nutrients from solid wastes on fields at time of maximum benefit
Limit environmental risk
Reduce time spent on waste management during winter months

Stack of dry manure on a concrete pad. — Some dry waste storage facilities may not have a roof if there is a system to manage liquid leachate that results after precipitation. Photo credit: Jenn Fetter, CACAT.

Other practices are associated with solid waste storage facilities

Solid waste storage facilities are often part of a comprehensive system involving several conservation practices. Some commonly associated practices include:

Liquid waste storage facilities
Heavy use area protections
Manure separator
Roofs
Roof runoff structures

Concrete wall separating manure storage area from animal space under wooden roof. — Dry stack manure storage area within a roofed heavy use area protection. Photo credit: Erin Trouba, CACAT.

Many design choices are possible

There can be different designs for solid waste storage facilities. Some of the differentiating factors in their design are coverage, size, capacity, safety features, and composition of solid waste. The type and size of equipment that transports the waste from the source to storage should be considered in the design. Assistance with design, obtaining permits, and construction is available (see links at the end of this fact sheet for more information).

Tall roofed structure with large piles of dry brown organic material. — Dry materials removed from the manure separation process can be reused as livestock bedding. Photo credit: Erin Trouba, CACAT.

Safety Considerations

These facilities have some safety risks that should be understood. Solid waste should be stacked in a stable form to prevent collapse and should not be stacked above the height of any of the walls. Appropriate moisture levels should be maintained to reduce the risk of fire. Extremely dry solid waste could act as a tinder to a spark, and excessive and uneven moisture accompanied by rapid microbial growth can create extremely high temperatures and spontaneous combustion. Personnel who work or live on the farm should be educated on the hazards, and a safety plan should be in place.

Rusted metal column called a bollard, built into a concrete floor of a manure storage structure, in front of the wooden support beam. — Metal bollards built into the structure protect the wooden support beams from frontal equipment damage. Photo credit: Erin Trouba, CACAT.

What maintenance is required?

Solid waste storage facilities should be emptied on the appropriately scheduled interval. Structures should be regularly inspected for cracks in concrete, or damages to wooden support structures or the roof. In Pennsylvania, documented storage inspection is included in nutrient and manure management policy and must occur at least monthly. Any structural or safety issues should be addressed immediately.

Square straw bales sitting in front of a roofed structure on a concrete pad with concrete and metal walls on three sides. — Chicken litter storage facility. Photo credit: Erin Trouba, CACAT.

Interested in having a solid waste storage facility?

Solid waste storage facilities may be eligible for funding through several conservation programs administered by the State Conservation Commission (SCC) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Additionally, several local funding sources may be available through organizations such as County Conservation Districts or local nongovernmental organizations.

For more information, reach out to staff at the Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training (CACAT), NRCS, or your local conservation district office.

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Practice Code: 313

Prepared by Erin Trouba, Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training, Weiyun Hua assistant teaching professor, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Penn State, Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training, and Robert Meinen, Penn State Extension.

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