“Putting Biosolids to Work: Keeping Valuable Resources out of the Landfill”

PRESENTED BY LOUIS LANGONE – CHIEF OPERATOR WATERVILLE WASTEWATER FACILITY

VILLAGE OF WATERVILLE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY

The Village of Waterville Wastewater Treatment Facility became operational in 1970. At that time everything was new: buildings, intake structure process tank and distribution lines and manholes. The plant ran for 27 years with only minor changes being done. Then in 1997, a major plant modification project was implemented. This project would update and change many components to make the facility more efficient. Our plant has a design flow of 300,000 gallons/day and serves approximately 1600 people.

For most wastewater facilities sludge/biosolids is probably its biggest concern, final removal and expense. Biosolids is a by-product of good effluent. Our biosolids were originally handle with glass sand drying beds. In 1992, we began land application of our biosolids. Biosolids were belt pressed and then stockpiled and was land applied in the spring.

This method was okay for a few years then with the change of ownership of our permitted farm and later wet weather prohibiting the spreading we began experiencing problems with the entire process. We were then forced to take our biosolids to landfills on two different occasions. Now we had new problems; cost of hauling, landfill tipping fees and landfill availability.

Our composting began when myself and my former boss, attended New York Rural Water Associations Annual Technical Conference in Rochester, NY. We went to a session on biosolids composting presented by Brian Romeiser, Chief Operator of the Manchester-Shortsville WWTP. Brian had been composting for many years and was happy to share his knowledge and experience with us. With his suggestions and guidance and encouragement we developed a plan to present to my Village Board.

I presented the plan to my Village Board and also told them that this composting project would be eligible for the New York State Municipal Waste Reduction and Recycling Program and 50% of the entire project could be eligible for State funding. The Village Board voted in favor to proceed with the project and to hire Brian Romeiser as a consultant. Brian did all the initial work that needed to be done: site layout, equipment needed and all the composting data needed. Then the Village hired Lamont Engineers to complete the process. Lamont would do the finalizations of our plan and file for our composting permit with the DEC. and later Lamont would assist the Village in completing and filing for the NYS Municipal Grant (phase1).

The Village of Waterville started composting its biosolids in October of 2000. We are permitted for aerated static piles (which we do) and windrow pile method.

Composting is a biological process of organic solids decompositions. Under a controlled environment; air, temperature, mix ratio and time the biosolids are reduced to its most stabilized form. When finished a class 1 compost is easily made and this compost can be used as soil amendment.

Compost begins when liquid biosolids from one of our two aerobic digester is dewatered through a belt filter press. After the belt press process the biosolids is now somewhere between 11% - 14% solids

Aerobic Digester Biosolids

Each digester is holds around 45,000 gallons of biosolids

Liquid aerated digester biosolids

Progressive Cavity pumps biosolids from digester to belt press

PolyBlend unit injects polymers into biosolids

Pump and PolyBlend

Belt press Belt press

The biosolids are augured into the compost building where it will be mixed with woodchips at a calculated mix ratio of 2 buckets of woodchips to 1 bucket of biosolids. The woodchips range between 50% to 80% in solid and are mixed for 5 minutes with biosolids that range from 11% to 14% solids. When done correctly the starting compost mix should now be around 38% to 42% solids. This range is necessary to start the bacteria process.

Belt Press Biosolids Stockpiled new woodchips

The compost is loaded into the mixer by a skid steer and mixed for 5 minutes.

2 Buckets Woodchips 1 Bucket Biosolids Completed mix unloading

The completed compost mix is now unloaded and dumped on top of a 6” ABS plastic perforated pipe that is cover with new clean woodchips. These woodchips help disperse the air and aids the operator when removing the pile to curing.

A typical pile for us would be 13’ wide X 7’ high X 33’ long.

6” perforated air pipe 6 “ pipe covered with new woodchips

Dumping and building compost pile

When the pile is completed it is covered with new or used woodchips at a thickness of 6” to 12”. This insulates the pile and insures even heating throughout the pile without stopping the air flow.

Completed compost pile with 12” of woodchips cover

The compost will now stay in the aerated static pile for 21 days. There will be a temperature probe inserted into the pile. This probe is connected to a air blower. The pile temperature is now being constantly monitored and recorded once a day for 21 days. When the temperature inside the pile reaches 57° C. the blower comes on and cools the pile down to 55°C. .

In this 21 day period the temperature must have 3 consecutive days of 55°C. or greater and then 11 consecutive days of 40° C. or greater. This assures the process to further reduce pathogens.

Temperature probe

Blower

Probe inserted into pile nearest the air intake because it’s the coldest point of the pile for recording purposes

Compost pile Daily temperature sheet

51 DAY PROCESS

3 days 55° C. or greater

11 days 40° C or greater

After 21 days the pile is broken down and moved to a curing pile. Curing is similar to the compost pile except without the aerated pipe and without the insulated blanket. Curing the compost means letting the bacteria continue stabilizing the waste. We try and turn or flip this curing pile every 5 – 7 days to allow oxygen to get to the remaining bacteria. Flipping the pile also helps to cool the compost and break up the chunks. Curing takes 30 days with no exceptions. When the curing pile is cool enough and dry enough we screen or shift it. We screen the compost for two reasons: the first being to meet class 1 compost standards and the second reason is to recycle the woodchips to use them again. Approximately 75% of the woodchips are removed in this screening process to be used in the next compost mix or by homeowners for landscaping.

Curing pile building Curing pile

Compost screen

Finish compost

Screened woodchips

The finish compost will be granular and brown in color. Some small particles of woodchips will be visible. Every compost pile is sampled and analyzed according to our permit. The final compost is now ready for the public to have. The Village gives the final compost away to the public. A person can come in with their own containers or truck and pick up as much compost that they may need. The person will then receive a sign off or release form that tells them how the compost is made, what metals are in the compost and how it should be used. These sign off sheets also tells us who is taking it, where it is going and how much they are taking.

Finish compost pile

Sign off sheet or release form

FLOWERSGOLF TEE BOX

PRIZE WINNING PUMPKINS

CEDAR HEDGE BEFORE & AFTER

GRASS BEFORE & AFTER

Overall the Village of Waterville feels that composting is a inexpensive way of biosolids disposal and a very beneficial way of disposing biosolids and green waste.

At this time the Village of Waterville is the only wastewater facility in the area composting its biosolids. The closest compost facility to us is the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority. They successfully compost large amount of all types of green waste but do not use biosolids in their product.

Oneida – Herkimer Solid Waste Authority in Utica finished compost ready to be sold

Over the past 14 years the Waterville Compost Facility has belt pressed 3,565,550 gallons of digester biosolids or 190 dry tons and made it into compost. That ends up as 2,417 cu. yds. of compost or 1470 dry tons. All this compost was given away for free and hauled away for free. If in that same period of time we belt pressed the biosolids and added woodchips to get to 20% solids so it would be accepted at a landfill. It would be estimated that 3,625 tons of biosolids @ $79. / ton tipping fee would have cost the Village $286,375.00 to dispose of. That cost does not include the hauling fee which would be around $100.00 / hour / truck.

As a side note the Village of Waterville also has a land application permit and once a year after either 1st or 2nd cutting of hay we liquid apply somewhere around 50,000 gallons of digester biosolids to the hay field.

If we did not compost most of our biosolids would go to this state of the art Landfill in Ava, NY taking up valuable landfill space

Land application of our biosolids on the hay field right after 2nd cutting

The cost for the Village to compost was spread out in three phases. Phase 1 was the biggest cost because of all the initial equipment needed to be purchased plus all the engineering and design cost. Phase 2 was mostly to improve upon the initial project and Phase 3 was to expand the operation. All 3 phases it cost the Village approximately $216,410.00. With 3 separate grants from NYS Municipal Waste Reduction and Recycling Program the Village was reimbursed $118,705.00. So the Villages final cost to become compost facility is approximately $97,705.00.

Overall the Village feels that composting has been a inexpensive way of disposing biosolids and green waste. We feel we are being very proactive with our composting while saving the taxpayers of money ($188,670.00 over the years) and saving valuable space in landfills and also giving the community a valuable and free and safe finished product. From a operators view point it has been a wonderful public relation tool. Over the years many taxpayers, school classes, other Villages and professional people have toured our facility.

As a result of our excellent compost operation and our great public relation we are the recipient of many awards throughout the years.

AWARDS

1998 NYRWA WASTEWATER OPERTOR OF THE YEAR

2002 NYRWA WASTEWATER SYSTEM OF THE YEAR

2003 NYSDEC REGION 6 OPERATION & MAINTENANCE AWARD

2006 NYWEA UHL T. MANN AWARD

2007 NYSDEC ANDREW M. WEIST OPERATION & MAINTENANCE AWARD

2008 USEPA NATIONAL CLEAN WATER ACT RECOGNITIONS AWARD

AWARDS DISPLAYED IN WASTEWATER FACILITIES OFFICE

This last award we were nominated by the NYSDEC and selected by USEPA as the BEST, #1 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE SMALL ADVANCE FACILITY IN THE UNITED STATES. I am very proud of this award and all the other awards in the past and they keep me motivated to continue to operate at this high level of excellence.

In closing I would like to thank you for the opportunity to show my facility and if you have any questions I would be glad to answer them. As I said before I love to give tours and show off my facility so if you are ever in the area give me a call.

THANK YOU

Louis Langone, Chief Operator Village of Waterville Wastewater Facility 122 Barton Ave. Waterville, NY 13480, watstp@Frontiernet.net, 315-841-4445