biosolids: regulation and policy, dave yanke

TWCA Fall Conference | Friday October 14, 2016

Biosolids Panel

Presented by:David S. YankePresident – Environmental Practice

2NEWGEN STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS, LLC

Agenda

• Purpose of study for Trinity River Authority (TRA)

• Beneficial reuse options

• Biosolids innovations

• Biosolids in Texas


Purpose of Study

• What biosolids management methods are available for TRA?

• Which methods might provide cost effective/sustainable options?

• Wastewater and solid waste “crossover”


Beneficial Reuse Options

• Any method of managing biosolids that keeps the material out of landfills

Land Application

Composting

Heat Drying (Pelletization)


• Land Application

– Method employed for centuries

– EPA 503 regulations (1993) sets limits for:

• Pathogen count

• Amount of trace metals

• Vector attraction guidelines

Beneficial Reuse Options (con’t)


• Composting– Biosolids are rich in

nitrogen and water content

– Cannot be labeled “organic”

– Process meets requirements of EPA 503 regulations



• Heat Drying

– Volume reduction

– Class A product

– Ease of transport

– Drawback: huge power consumption



Beneficial Reuse Options – Other Technologies

Biosolids Solar Array (Merrell Bros.)

• Capital costs (50,000 wet ton throughput) = $8.0 to $12.5 million

• Sludge is pre-dried to 60%

• Subsequently passed through stacked oven for further drying

• Final product is 94% solids content, Class AA


Beneficial Reuse Options – Other Technologies (con’t)

Fertilizer Manufacturing (Anuvia)• Two-stage hydrolysis process• Produce roughly 78,000 tons of fertilizer per year• Approximate cost of $20 to $40 per dry ton


Beneficial Reuse Options – Other Technologies (con’t)

Hyper-X Evaporating Dryer (Singnergy)

• Sludge is uniformly pressed between a hot drum and a belt

• Resulting material is over 90% dry

• Relatively small footprint


Biosolids in Texas

• NewGen conducted interviews and research with a multitude of entities:

– Compost processors

– Biosolids management and hauling companies

– Landfills

– Regional wastewater treatment plants


Biosolids in Texas (con’t)


City of Austin, Texas

• Anaerobically digested biosolids with residential brush material to make “Dillo Dirt”

• 6-foot high windrows more than 500 feet long

• Meets all Texas and EPA requirements for unrestricted use


City of Dallas, Texas

• 110 MGD capacity at Southside facility

• Anaerobically digested

• Biogas meets ~60% of Southside’s energy needs

• Land disposed on-site at facility to grow cotton


City of Houston, Texas

• 69th Street and Almeda Sims facilities produced 32,000 dry tons of pellets in 2012 through heat drying

• Product sold as: Hou-Actinite, Sustainite, and Cultivite

• Currently designing estimates for new facility at 69th Street for $100 million


City of Waco, Texas

• Pelletization program began in 1996

• Produces Class A material (~22 tons per day)

• Markets to farmers who self-haul ($35-$40 per ton)

• Supplies approximately 70% of power requirements


San Antonio River Authority

• Salatrillo plant permitted for 5.83 MGD (~1,000 dry tons of biosolids a year)

• Employs aeration basins and belt filter presses

• Class A material

• Composted on-site through collaborative effort with Texas Landfill Management


New Earth / San Antonio Water System

• Six year relationship

• Biosolids placed into their compost

• Sold to professional landscapers and weekend gardeners

Questions?

David S. YankePresident – Environmental Practice

3420 Executive Center Drive, Suite 165Austin, Texas 78731

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]