UNDERSTAND BIOSOLIDS

Fertilizer and Fuel

Biosolids are the organic residuals generated during the treatment of municipal wastewater. Appropriate management of these biosolids is critical to protection of the environment and public health. This industry engages a myriad of stakeholders — including municipal residents, commercial sewer users, agricultural interests, and environmental groups. At a cost of more than $2 billion dollars annually and with population growth continuing to expand wastewater volume, effective biosolids management is a challenge for communities.

While the proper treatment and disposal of sludge is a public necessity for communities, the advancement of technologies also provides for opportunities. These include beneficial uses of biosolids as a fertilizer to increase crop productivity and use as an alternative fuel and renewable energy feedstock.

Today, wastewater is routinely treated and disinfected. The process of separating the solids from the water produces a relatively dry, soil-like material, which can be recycled back to the earth. In NEFCO facilities, additional water is thermally removed from the mechanically-dewatered cake, producing a high-quality, Class A biosolids product which can be used as a high-end fertilizer for agriculture. Using Class A biosolids product through land application safely enhances the soil with a rich organic product that conditions it and increases plant growth.