Sludge Watch ==> Colton Calif aiming to see positive side to sewage-indoor sludge dryer

[Maureen Reilly]

Colton aiming to see positive side to sewage
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
San Bernardino County Sun


COLTON - The city is looking to become a pioneer in how it treats and 
disposes of its sewage.
The City Council tonight is expected to consider plans for an 8-acre indoor 
biosolids drying facility that would process and treat municipal sewage at 
the city's wastewater-treatment plant on South Rancho Avenue.

The terms of the agreement are still being worked out between the city and 
Biosoils of Southern California LLC and Cambrian Energy Management LLC in 
Los Angeles. So it's possible the matter will be continued to the council's 
Jan. 16 meeting, City Manager Daryl Parrish said.

Currently, the city dries municipal sewage on open-air drying beds at its 
plant and contracts with companies to have it removed and treated.

The city pays about $200,000 a year to have its biosolids, or dried sewage 
sludge, disposed of by other companies, said Eric Fraser, Colton's water and 
wastewater director.

Under the proposal, the city would lease part of its wastewater-treatment 
plant property to Biosoils for a 54-year, 10-month term.

Biosoils would process and treat municipal sewage at no cost to the city.

The processing of the sewage would generate electrical power that would be 
sold back to the city at favorable rates, Fraser said.

Other cities could have their sludge delivered to the facility, generating 
additional money for Colton, Fraser said.

Biosolids would pay the city $1 per ton for additional sewage that is 
treated at the facility, which could accommodate 1,800 tons per day.

Fraser said the project would not significantly increase truck traffic on 
Rancho Avenue, an already heavily traveled street with industrial and 
commercial businesses.

The project also would reduce odors through the elimination of the outdoor 
sludge drying ponds, Fraser said.

The project would be funded through $100 million in tax-exempt bonds.

The city would serve as a conduit to help facilitate the bond issuance, but 
the operators would assume any liability and debt service on the bonds, 
Fraser said.

"I think it's a win-win situation because it's going to reduce the amount of 
waste we have to ship out and pay for," Councilman David Toro said. "At the 
same time, we don't have to absorb tax dollars to pay for the bonds and it's 
going to generate electricity and create revenue for the city."

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