TAKING BIOSOLIDS PROCESSING PRIVATE - TWO MASSACHUSETTS COMMUNITIES TAKE DIFFERENT PATHS TO CLASS A

The private sector traditionally has played an important role in the disposal or beneficial use of municipal wastewater biosolids. Typical practices include transportation and disposal of liquid or dewatered biosolids to regional incinerators or landfills and application of stabilized biosolids to agricultural land.The last decade has seen increased private-sector operation of biosolids processing facilities to produce high-quality Class A products such as composts, heat-dried products or alkaline materials. The production facilities have been both publicly and privately owned, but frequently have also been privately designed, built and operated (D/B/O).The City of Lowell, Massachusetts and the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District (GLSD), Massachusetts both have chosen to implement a portion of their biosolids management using the D/B/O approach. Lowell has contracted with Synagro to construct a RDP “EnVessel Pasteurization” alkaline stabilization system. The biosolids product will be blended with soil to produce a topsoil for local sale. At GLSD, a thermal drying facility will be operated by New England Fertilizer Company (NEFCO). The resulting product will be marketed as a fertilizer/soil amendment nationally.