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Land Application of Wastewater Sludge 

Susan A. Murphy – Kansas City, MOJeff Waszgis – Crete, NEAlan Ygsi – Denison, IA

 

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Who Does Land Application?

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Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facilities

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We Do!

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Farmland Land Application Examples

• Over 850 dry tons applied from Denison and Crete in 2010

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The city of Lincoln, NE, produces methane gas from sludges, generating electricity.

Our DAF sludge is used to generate methane, and nutritive biosolids are sold to farmers. Lincoln generated approximately 14 dry tons in 2010.

Photo from U of Nebraska-IANR

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How Much Sludge do YOU Generate?

• Soil nutrients are valued on a Dry Basis

Example: 8% solids, 4 million gallons

How much water is included?• The water in the sludge must not puddle in the

field• Anaerobic Lagoons-Each year the decision is

made: Pond Cleanout vs. Sludge Dredging?• Does your sludge have what it takes?

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State Permitting Requirements

Municipal Sewage Sludge is not the same as industrial pretreatment sludge. Permit requirements are different!

There are restriction of pathogens from land application sludges on crops for direct human consumption (strawberries, lettuce…) or on public access land (parks,….).

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Permit Exempt does not mean Exempt from State Requirements!

Iowa DNR Example: Permit Exempt as long as--The maximum application rate is not to

exceed 2 tons per acre per year (dry basis)Less than 2 ton/ac if soil tests indicate field

nutrient levels are significantly in excess of crop nutrient requirements, or would provide heavy metals concentrations in the soil at detrimental levels (crop or human health hazard)

Exempt application has requirements, too!

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State Permitting Requirements• Identify the fields we may be able to utilize, • and get the landowner contact information• Calculate the amount of nutrients each

specific field and crop can uptake in the growing season

• Immediate incorporation into the soil• Stay a minimum distance from waterways, no

standing water• Identify the fields and application rate of each

field, and the landowner contact information• Prepare a Land Application Plan, and keep

organized before/after records

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Land Application ManagementFields are too wet

Land compacts, ruts, sludge can run off field, causing contamination

Fields are frozen, hard to inject sludge Crop yields were not very good the previous year

Landowner changes Contractor Availability

Slow return on laboratory resultsPermitting

TIMING BECOMES EVERYTHING

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The Costs

- Lagoon Sludge Sampling, Analyses Fees- Farm Field Analysis- Dredging/Pumping- Transporting- Field Spreading or Injection of Sludge- Reincorporation and Repair of

Compaction Areas- Permitting

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The Benefits

- Reduction of waste and beneficial use of wastewater treatment byproduct

- Conservation of landfill space- Soil amendment reduces local farming

costs (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Copper, Zinc, Iron, Sulfur)

- Fertilizer Production natural resource savings (energy, water, etc.)

- Reflects our company’s waste reduction efforts within the community

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How do we do this?

Reference State RegulationsPrepare Soil Application PlanDetermine Local InterestSample and Analyze SludgeObtain Field Analyses (Local Ag Office)Calculate application rate based on field analysis,

crop requirement Notify the State Watch the WeatherApply with CareMonitor the Site Keep Documentation OrganizedStart Early before each sludge application season

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Before

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During

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During

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During

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After

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Take Home

Sludge Management is Costly!The fewer solids that go to

wastewater, the less sludge we generate

Where do your DAF andClarifier solids belong?

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The End