A method and an apparatus for receiving manure from a vacuum truck, as that manure is collected from alleys of a dairy barn, includes receiving the manure in a mixing basin. The received manure is diluted in the mixing basin with a jet of water discharging a sufficient volume of water to form a sand-laden manure flow having a velocity of over 3 feet per second and dilute the received manure into a sand-laden manure suspension of less than seven percent manure solids. The resulting sand laden manure suspension is conducted into a vestibule of a sand settling lane to slow the flow of the sand laden manure suspension to enter a sand settling lane at a velocity of less than 1.25 feet per second. Sand is collected in the sand settling lane.