The Concerned Citizens of Buffalo, N.D., have been told that the permit application for the proposed swine factory near our town has been changed from drilling wells on the property, to getting their water from the local rural water system, Cass Rural Water Users.
Raising hogs takes a lot of water to keep them alive. A 9,000 head Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation of this magnitude will use even more water. The North Dakota State University recommended amount of water per hog is 5-7 gallons per day. If you multiply an average of six gallons per hog, per day, per year, this swine factory will use approximately 20 million gallons of water per year, every year they operate. That's right: 20 million gallons per year! This amount does not include the necessary gallons of water for daily wash downs and cooling the hogs. All of this water is coming out of the local aquifer near Page, N.D.
Was the board of the Cass Rural Water Users given realistic usage numbers by this out of state company, Rolling Green Family Farms, who intend to take advantage of our environment and quality of life? What will be the impact on other communities using this rural water system? How many years can this much water be taken out of the aquifer without causing major problems? We have to ask, are these 9,000 hogs more important than the people and communities in Cass County who depend on the aquifer for water?
This issue should be concerning to everyone, not just the citizens of Buffalo. Water is a valuable natural resource for all North Dakota residents that must not be jeopardized.
Marcks lives in Buffalo, N.D.
