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Land Farming of Biosolids from a

Secondary WastewaterTreatment Plant

Ceferino Aponte, M.Ch.E.; P.E.

E-101 Environmental Management I

Harvard University Extension SchoolBoston, Massachusetts

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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant

Land farming of Biosolids from

The Barceloneta Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant

Industry Government Partnership

The Challenges

Limited Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure

Fast Industrial Development

The Results Ecologically and Cost effective Alternative for

biosolids reuse

Potential for Application in other areas

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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant

Figure 1. Puerto Rico Satellite Photohttp://earth.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/efs/lores.pl?PHOTO=STS034-76-88

Photo taken one month after passage of Hurricane Hugo.

The sediment plumes along the coast are from freshwater runoff.

BRWTP and

Land Farm

San JuanCao Tiburones

Alluvial Mineral Soil Plains

Limestone hills

La Cordillera Central

Central Mountain Range

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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant

Options

Landfilling

Incineration Ocean dumping

Land farming

Biosolids DisposalThe Barceloneta Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant

Path Forward

Initially Landfilling Phase I Pilot Land Farm Project 1982 - 1987

Phase II Full Scale Land Farming 1987 - Present

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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant

Figure 2. Land Farming Plot Plan (8)

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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant

Figure 3. Terragator

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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant

Total Biosolids Produced

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

DMT

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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant

Hay Sales

$0

$20

$40

$60

$80

$100$120

$140

$160

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Sales($000)

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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant

Injection days vs Rain

20

30

40

50

60

7080

90

100

110

150 160 170 180 190 200

Injection days

TotalRain(inc

hes)

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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant

1. Land farming is a very attractive option forbiosolids disposal as long as:

A strong pretreatment program is in place

Stakeholders are willing to cooperate ($$)

2. There is good potential lo extend the experience

to use treated effluent for irrigation and

groundwater recharge, particularly on the south

coast of Puerto Rico.

Biosolids DisposalThe Barceloneta Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant

Lessons Learned

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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant

Figure 4. Puerto Rico in Relief and Shadehttp://pr.water.usgs.gov/public/gis.html

San Juan

ManatBarceloneta AreaCao Tiburones

Alluvial Mineral Soil Plains

Limestone hills