innovative biosolids in austin, texas · composting 3 parts yard trimmings[carbon] 1 part biosolids...
TRANSCRIPT
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Innovative Biosolids Managementin Austin, Texas
Rajendra P. Bhattarai, P.E., BCEEAustin Water, City of Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas January 24, 2017
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Acknowledgments
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Texas Water Development Board
• City of Austin
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Presentation Outline• Background• Hornsby Bend• Innovations through the years at Hornsby Bend
• Future of Hornsby Bend
• Questions
3
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Walnut Creek Wastewater
Plant(1977)
South AustinRegional
WastewaterPlant
(1986)
Hornsby Bend Biosolids
Plant(1956)
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• Urban Waste Recycling
• Conservation
• Research
• Restoration
• Energy Production
Hornsby BendBiosolids Management Plant
More than 40 local, state, regionaland National awards
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Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant
• City of Austin’s central biosolids treatment plant
• City acquired 270 acres in mid‐1950s
• Three lagoons to receive sludge:‐Pond 1 – 85 acres‐Pond 2 – 65 acres‐Pond 3 – 35 acres
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Hornsby Bend Ponds• Initially designed as “Sludge Oxidation Lakes”
• Permitted as a waste stabilization pond system
• Discharge Permit limits: 30 mg/l BOD5 and 90 mg/l TSS
• Initially smaller population, lower loading – met permit limits
12
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Hornsby Bend Ponds (continued)• As population grew, so did the organic loading
• Difficult for pond system to meet permit limits
• Experiments with Water Hyacinths in Pond 4 (5 acres)
• Hyacinths effective in improving effluent quality
• Problems during winter freeze when hyacinths died
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Pond 1 East
Pond 2
Pond 1 West
Pond 3
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Water Hyacinth• Free‐floating, perennial, tropical aquatic plant
• Native to South America• Fast‐growing• Considered an invasive plant• Can quickly choke waterways and become a nuisance
• Special permit needed from Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept
• Harvesting is cumbersome
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Water Hyacinth• Extensive root system ideal for
filtering solids
• Roots provide sites for attached microbial growth and help in nitrification
• Effective for removal of nutrients, heavy metals, cyanides and a variety of pollutants
• Can be used as bulking agent in composting
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Hornsby Bend Ponds (continued)• 5‐acre Greenhouse with 4 acres of ponds constructed to protect hyacinths during winter
• Effective year‐round – even in winter
• Rapid growth of hyacinths• Hyacinth harvesting pain• Spider mites destroying hyacinths
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Hornsby Bend Ponds (continued)• Replaced hyacinths with Lemna minor (Duckweed) – easier to maintain
• Covers water surface and reduces algae growth• Provides effective treatment
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Ponds ‐ Attract Birds and Birdwatchers
•Most popular birding site in Austin Area
•370 Bird Species
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1W
1E2
3
Pond Treatment System 189 acresWater moves by gravityPond system treats all waterAll water recycled – no discharge to river
East
West
SidestreamTreatment
Plant
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Aquatic Greenhouse 5 acres
Effluent for on-site agricultural land irrigation Ponds: 3 cells – 4 acres totalNo discharge to the river
Irrigation Pumps
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Treefolks and
Austin Youth River Watch
EcoHouse Offices
Biosolids Research Fields
FM 973
Admin Building and Center for Environment
Research
Main Entrance
Treatment and Compost area
Treatment Ponds
Riparian Research Area
Hornsby Bend Biosolids
Management Plant
1200 acres
3.5 miles of
Colorado River
Biosolids M
anagem
ent
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Hornsby Bend site
Ecohouse Offices
for Treefolks and Austin Youth River
Watch
Administration offices
and CER
Digesters
Biosolids Research Fields
Compost Pad
Public Entrance
to Ponds
Pond 1 W
Pond 1 EPond 2
Pond 3
N
SH 71
Austin Airport
River Trail South Entrance
River Trail
North Entrance
Platt Lane to North Entrance
Public Safety Training Houses
Birding Shelter
Storage basins
Restricted area
Restricted area
/
/
SidestreamTreatment
Plant
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All of Austin’s Biosolids – 1.5 million gallons per day98.5% water
Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
Wastewater: 100 MGD
Biosolids: 95 dry tons/day
South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant
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Solids –Anaerobic Digesters
•Mesophilic digestion – 98o F
•Approximately 60 days detention time
•50% solids reduction
• 95% pathogen reduction = Class B
•By‐product: Methane
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Dewatering
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Biosolids RecyclingSecond MethodComposting
Yard Trimmings and Biosolids
Biosolids Recycling First Method
Beneficial Reuse through Land Application
⅓ on onsite farm – 550 acres⅓ on offsite farm
Biosolids ⅓⅔
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Biosolids Recycling Method 1
Land Application
Class BBiosolids
550 acres of hay fields
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Biosolids RecyclingMethod 2 CompostingClass A Biosolids
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Method 2
Composting
3 parts yard trimmings [carbon]
1 part biosolids [nitrogen/phosphorus]
Yard Trimmings
ProcessingCompost Pad
All of Austin’s of yard trimmings:
150,000 yd3
~12% of Austin’s solid waste stream
~40% of Austin’s recycling stream~7,000 tons/year of Class A Compost – “Dillo Dirt”
Composting
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Clean Water Federal Stimulus Award• Hornsby Bend ranked #1 in Texas
among “green” projects• $31.8 million zero‐interest Federal
Stimulus Loan
• $30.7 million in interest savings• 80% of the funds for the “Green
Reserve” projects through the Texas Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Hornsby Bend# 1
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HORNSBY BEND BIOSOLIDS MANAGEMENT PLANT
EQUALIZATION BELT THICKENERS
ANAEROBICDIGESTERS DEWATERING
COMPOSTING
CLASS A COMPOST“DILLO DIRT”
SIDESTREAMTREATMENT
PLANT
BENEFICIAL USE THROUGHAGRICULTURAL LAND APPLICATION
MIXING/BLENDING
WALNUTCREEKWWTP
SOUTHAUSTIN
REGIONALWWTP
CLASS BBIOSOLIDS
BENEFICIAL USE THROUGHDISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING
BULKING AGENTS:WOOD CHIPS/
YARD TRIMMINGS
SLU
DG
E
SLU
DG
ESL
UD
GE
SIDESTREAM
SID
ESTR
EAM
PONDS
EFFL
UEN
T
ON-SITE IRRIGATION
CH4CHPCombined Heat and Power
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Two Contracts with Stimulus Funds1. $6.95 million for Compost Pad
expansion• Addition of 15‐acre
compost pad• Double composting
capacity to use 10,000 dry tons of biosolids per year
2. $27.95 million for digester upgrades and plant‐wide efficiency improvements
• Sludge dewatering improvements – increase capacity, reduce operation cost
• Digester upgrades –improve process efficiency, increase gas production and capture, reduce use of petroleum‐based polymers
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Digester Improvements• Changed from floating covers to more efficient fixed covers
• Flexible membrane cover for more efficient gas storage
• New 20 HP linear motion mixers in lieu of 100 HP nozzle mix systems
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Digester Mixer Replacement
• Before– Nozzle Mixers– Inadequate Mixing– High power use
• After– Linear Motion Mixers– Better mixing– 80% reduction in power use
Linear Motion Mixer
Nozzle Mixer
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Benefits of Stimulus Fund Projects• 560 local jobs over 3 years• Increase digester gas
production• Compost capacity doubled
to produce exceptional quality Class A compost
• Reduce diesel fuel use by 30,000 gallons/year
• 41% reduction in petroleum‐based polymers
• Extra 16,000 yd3/year of yard and tree trimmings used in composting by 2012
• 300 tons of fly ash in concrete for compost pad
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Benefits of Stimulus Fund Projects(continued…)
• 6,500 tons of CO2 equivalent GHG reduction by 2012
• 55% increase in energy production by 2012
• 1.75 MW electricity from a related biogas generator project – $1.2 million grant from U.S. Dept. of Energy through Austin Energy
• Waste heat from generators for heating digesters and other uses
• Generate enough electricity for Hornsby Bend
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Combined Heat and Power from Methane• 875 KW electricity from a
biogas generator• Waste heat from generators
for heating digesters and other uses
• Hornsby Bend energy neutral• Excess electricity goes to the
grid
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Clean WaterState Revolving Fund2010 PISCES Award
Performance & Innovation in the SRFCreating Environmental Success
Awarded to
The City of AustinTexas
For Innovative and Effective Useof the SRF Financing Mechanisms
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Future Upgrades at Hornsby Bend• Increase biogas
production by anaerobically digesting: Fats, oils and grease Food wastes
• Increase CHP capacity• Sidestream Treatment• 100% Class A Biosolids• Nutrient Recovery Phosphorus recovery for
fertilizers• Solar Energy Farm
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Questions, Comments?
Tom Toro, The New Yorker, May 12, 2012