slurry tanks

Is it close to a watercourse or does the area have a problematic drainage pattern?

yes it is close to a water course – 2 of them in fact about 10 to 20 metres away. Also a neighbours private well is 60m or so away

I presume this shed is a slatted shed? If this is the case then these sheds are designed to contain all slurry until such time as it is safe to spread them as fertilizer and to stop pollution of water bodies. That is why the department of agriculture are providing grants for their construction under the Farm Waste Management Scheme. The objective is to prevent water pollution, not cause it. Just as matter of interest, do you and/or your heighbour have a septic tank? Is this not inherently more dangerous from a water pollution point of view? – 2 septic tanks + 2 watercourses + neighbour’s well = a high possibility of water pollution as the septic tanks will be discharging partially (or unfortunately more frequently untreated) waste into the soil. Whereas a slurry tank or slatted shed is a containment facility. If i were you i would be thankful that your farmer neighbour is conscious of the dangers of water pollution and threats to the environment.