Alternative Project Delivery California's First Design-Build-Own-Operate Biosolids Recycling Facility

The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (District) engaged the private sector for the design, finance, construction, ownership, and 20 year operation and of a Biosolids Recycling Facility (BRF). In early 2005, the BRF began processing solids into heat dried pellets to be beneficially reused. The BRF is located at the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (SRWTP), which is a 181 MGD regional facility utilizing a primary and secondary pure oxygen biological wastewater treatment process.Compared to the conventional design-bid-build approach, the design-build-own-operate public/private partnership is delivering measurable benefits to the District in the form of cost savings, schedule efficiency, financing flexibility, technical innovation and a balanced transfer of risk. The addition of the BRF to the other District biosolids management options is providing a diversified and reliable biosolids program.