Sludge Watch ==> Illinois -" Biotic" product speeds up sludge

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:  Not sure what this 'biotic' product is.
If you find out let us all know. I wonder what  is the environmental fate of 
this agent ?  If it speeds up sludge digestion, what else does it speed up?  
What if it is ingested by worms, or frogs, or salamanders, or children?

..........................


Posted Online: 2007-03-17
Ottawa substituting biotic product to dispose of sewage sludge faster than 
traditional methods


JONATHAN BILYK, jonb at mywebtimes.com, 815-431-4063


Anyone hoping to use Ottawa's sewage sludge as fertilizer may need to begin 
looking elsewhere for cheap soil nutrients.

And that could mean a little less scrutiny on the city's sewage treatment 
process from the federal and state governments.

For years, the city has followed a similar pattern to dispose of its solid 
sewage, or the solid substances left over from the sewage treatment process.

Known to the industry as biosolids, the material traditionally has been 
pumped into a lagoon near the city's wastewater treatment plant where it was 
allowed to separate further from the water it was contained in.

Over time, the material filled the lagoon, forcing city officials to find 
ways to relieve the buildup.

In the early 2000s, the city contracted with Peotone-based Continental Farms 
to annually dredge the lagoon, removing about 1,000 tons at a time, and work 
with local farmers to help apply the substance to fields.

The city has allowed farmers interested in obtaining the sludge since at 
least the 1990s to cart it away.

However, last year, for the first time in about two decades, the city did 
not make its sewage available for land application, said Bob Shull, the 
city's wastewater superintendent.

Instead, the city opted to keep the biosolids to test an alternative method 
to get rid of the problematic material, injecting the material with a 
probiotic liquid designed to stimulate the bacteria that otherwise would 
naturally break down the biosolids at a slower pace.

Thus far, said Shull, it appears to be working.

"It speeds up the process a lot," said Shull. "Pretty much, when it's done, 
we're left with much less solids and a lot more water.

"It's great stuff."

The excess water then is pumped back into the sewage plant, treated and 
released into the Illinois River like all other city wastewater, Shull said.

In the future, he said, the city could begin working with a local landfill 
to rid itself of the minimal amounts of sludge left after the biotics 
complete their work.

Shull noted the new process also helps the city in other areas.

First, he said, the switch in procedures has saved the city more than 
$130,000.

"It was costing us $175,000 to store the stuff, have it dredged and land 
apply the solids," said Shull.

The new probiotic product costs just $40,000.

"So that's a big plus," he said.

The switch also could save the city some regulatory headaches down the road.

Since the early 2000s, state and federal Environmental Protection Agencies 
have worked with several other regulatory bodies to re-examine the rules 
under which sludge can be applied to land.

Regulators have in the past expressed concerns over the possibility the 
sludge could spread pollutants and contamination, such as diseases or 
carcinogens, like radium, to soil used to grow food.

Maggie Carson, spokeswoman for the Illinois EPA, said her agency is 
continuing its review of the rules, along with the Illinois Emergency 
Management Agency and Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety.

As a result, the regulations have not yet been changed.

But Shull said treating the sludge in house should help the city more easily 
meet any rule changes concerning land application.

"I still think land application is great, and people should use it," said 
Shull.

"We monitor everything here, so we know there's no heavy metals or other 
kinds of pollutants in it."

He said if any farmer still wants any of the 600 dry tons of sludge produced 
in Ottawa each year, he will attempt to work something out.

"But for now, this kind of takes care of the whole problem," said Shull.


http://mywebtimes.com/ottnews/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=293988