Beneficial Use Dashboard: Biosolids Data Management

Introduction: A drought in eastern Colorado in 2021 and 2022 spurred South Platte Renew (SPR) to reconfigure its data management practices for its Beneficial Use (BU) Program. Low SPR needed to become resilient to future scenarios that could prevent biosolids land application. Drought led to crop failure, which in turn led to high nitrate soil levels barring biosolid application. SPR needed an inventory to assess the lands that could be applied to, inform future biosolid management needs, and track environmental trends in application. A Power BI Dashboard would provide an efficient solution by centralizing current and historic data and enhancing communication across SPR. Design: To develop the site inventory, SPR redesigned its data management practices and developed a dashboard to assess each biosolid application site. SPR expanded its sampling plan while centralizing the existing data. SPR compiled application, soil, crop, and biosolid data. SPR increased its soil sampling frequency to pre-planting and post-harvest to monitor nitrate uptake. SPR also created a dynamic application site status, an interactive timeline for contingency planning, and historic graphs showing environmental parameters like weather conditions. The Power BI Dashboard consolidated data from multiple sources into a user-friendly, visual interface accessible to all teams. The dashboard allowed SPR staff to monitor and analyze this information in real-time, enabling informed decision-making and timely adjustments to the biosolids application process. Implementation: To address the diverse needs of stakeholders, the dashboard integrated data from agricultural systems, weather databases, and biosolids management software. It tracked each field's crop history, ensuring compliance biosolid application. The tool also facilitated scheduling and planning for soil sampling, aiding the biosolid application process. It also compiled information for each plot, summarizing metal and nutrients results from historic soil sampling events. Furthermore, it contains data from SPR's test plot that has crop data from the 1990s so SPR can review trends due to biosolid or fertilizer application. Project Results: By centralizing critical data and improving access to information, the Power BI Dashboard enhanced operational efficiency, reduced planning time, and promoted better communication. It enabled the program to respond to changing weather conditions and crop needs, ensuring the sustainable and responsible use of biosolids in agriculture. It has helped South Platte Renew be more resilient to climate change as land available for biosolid application and storage space can be predicted while using historic data to inform management practices.