Sludge Watch ==> Household and industrial water softeners leave nasty chloride in sewage effluent

[Maureen Reilly]

Water everywhere, but too much salt in the drink




Kristi Haunfelder, Staff Writer Lake Country Reporter Heartland WI
October 24, 2006



City of Delafield - Everyone likes the nice foamy action of their soap, 
whether in the shower or the washing machine, and most rely on water 
softeners and their salt to remove naturally occurring minerals such as 
calcium that can spot glassware and damage plumbing.
But once that salt has done its job, it becomes chloride compounds that 
can't be removed at treatment plants like the Delafield-Hartland Water 
Pollution Control Commission facility.

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Dissolved in the water, chlorides find their way into the water table and 
into the Bark River, from there to the Rock River, from there to the 
Mississippi River and ultimately into the ocean.

"Wherever people are using that water, their water filtration plant is 
treating it, filtering out the mud and what have you, and they're using it 
for drinking water," said Bob Hyde, general manager for Dela-Hart.

The addition of salt to freshwater also poses a danger to freshwater plants 
and animals, impeding their reproduction.

There is no process to remove chlorides from water at wastewater treatment 
plants, and such a process would likely be too expensive.

"The thing I'm seeing with our appeals, we're trying to get to people. I 
don't know if it's getting to them, or if they just don't care," Hyde said.

After a few years of getting closer to the lower chloride levels requested 
by the DNR, in the last two years, Dela-Hart has seen an increase in 
chlorides in the wastewater coming into the plant for treatment.

The DNR would like to see chloride levels at or below 350 milligrams per 
liter (mg/l), but Dela-Hart's permit is for up to 500 mg/l.

Dela-Hart is seeing levels near that.

>From January to September 2006, Dela-Hart recorded an average of 461.67 mg/l 
per month with a high of 512.5 mg/l and a low of 417.5 mg/l.

That averages to about 6,000 to 7,000 pounds of chlorides released into the 
environment per day.

>From January through October 2005, Del-Hart had an average of 461 mg/l of 
chlorides each month with a high of 53 mg/l and a low of 400 mg/l.

In 2004 and 2005, the averages were lower, 415 mg/l and 428 mg/l per month, 
respectively.

"It's all some form of salt," Hyde said. And it's coming from water 
softeners in the homes and business in the area Dela-Hart serves.

Dela-Hart treats an average of 1.8 million gallons of water each day for 
between 17,000 and 20,000 people in the City of Delafield, Village of 
Hartland, Nashotah, Town of Summit, around the upper and lower Nemahbin 
lakes and a small section of the Town of Delafield.

"Only you can help by using less water softener salt," Hyde said.

One way to do that is to replace older water softeners that regenerate on a 
timed cycle with newer water softeners that regenerate on demand, or as salt 
is actually needed.

Water softeners that regenerate on a timed cycle can result in not enough 
salt to take minerals out of the water on high-water-usage days or in too 
much salt in the water on low-water-usage days.

Water softeners that regenerate on demand use less salt and less energy and 
save money in the long run.

Unfortunately, getting a water softener replaced can cost about $1,000, 
including the labor. For those more mechanically and plumbing inclined who 
can do the work themselves, a water softener alone costs about $400 at a 
home improvement store.

"Water softeners are expensive," Hyde said.

Another way to cut down on salt use in the water softener is to only have 
water that needs to be softened come through the water softener, such as 
water for the shower, washing dishes and washing clothes.

Drinking water taps and outside water taps for watering the garden should 
not use softened water.

Hyde said that with the Dela-Hart facility, the water in the area has 
improved, but the chlorides are still in there.

"You wouldn't think it would be good to drink, but it's nothing you can 
taste, because it's dissolved," Hyde said.


Take our biosolids, please

By Kristi Haunfelder, Staff Writer

City of Delafield - Since the expansion last year of the Delafield-Hartland 
Water Pollution Control facility that included a treatment process to 
extract organic solids, the facility has produced about 3,000 to 4,000 cubic 
yards of Class A biosolids - great for gardeners.

"It's free for the taking," said Bob Hyde, general manager of the Dela-Hart 
facility of the material.

Hyde said the recycled material, which is dried and stockpiled before it's 
made available to the public, makes a great fertilizer.

While biosolids haven't been shown to be harmful to people, they aren't 
recommended for use in vegetable gardens.

But biosolids can be used for flowerbeds, hedges, trees and lawns, and Hyde 
said he has used biosolids in his own yard projects.

"People, knowing biosolids are from people, don't want to take it," Hyde 
said. Since Dela-Hart began giving away biosolids this spring, only about 50 
or 60 cubic yards have been taken.

"People are more willing to spread cow manure, which has a higher 
concentration of fecal coliform bacteria, than our Class A biosolids," Hyde 
said. He said the bacteria count is very low once the organic material has 
been processed into Class A biosolids.

Hyde said if the program for people to use the biosolids as fertilizer 
doesn't take off, Dela-Hart will have to have the material trucked away.

"We have had some response and inquiries to the biosolids, one by a farmer 
or rancher interested in having biosolids applied to his hay fields," Hyde 
said.

Right now, many municipalities have ordinances that prohibit such things, 
but a change in state law might make that possible, Hyde said.

Dela-Hart will deliver 5 cubic yards of biosolids for a fee of $25, which 
covers the cost of transportation. "One guy did that, mixed it in with the 
topsoil and worked it into his lawn," Hyde said. "He has the most beautiful 
lawn. I wish more people would take us up on it."

Anyone interested in taking Dela-Hart up on free fertilizer can pick it up 
between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Dela-Hart facility, 
416 Butler Drive, Delafield.

People can also stop by on the weekends during the city's brush recycling 
program. An attendant will be on duty to help with inquiries about 
biosolids.

One cubic yard of biosolids amounts to 27 feet of the material and will fill 
about seven 30-gallon trash cans.

People are asked to bring their own trash cans or 5-gallon buckets, but 
Dela-Hart does have a few containers that can be loaned out to get the 
material home, but then must be returned to the facility.

Or folks can have the fertilizer delivered. Anyone interested in contacting 
Dela-Hart for biosolids should call (262) 646-4364.