Animal feedlots are a likely threat to drinking water in Minnesota, says report

Manure from the state's 80 million farm animals risks overloading its rivers and lakes with nitrogen and phosphorus

Millions of tons of manure from Minnesota's animal feedlots is a risk to consumer health as it threatens to raise nitrate and phosphorus levels in the state's rivers, lakes and drinking water, a study has found.

Meat and dairy production in the US is dominated by the use of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) where animals are raised or fattened in close confinement.