BIOSOLIDS MANAGEMENT THROUGH DESIGN-BUILD: SACRAMENTO'S UNIQUE APPROACH

The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (District) is engaging the private sector for the design, finance, construction, ownership, and 20 year operation and of a Biosolids Recycling Facility (BRF). The BRF will process solids from the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is a 181 MGD regional facility utilizing a primary and secondary biological wastewater treatment process. The biosolids will be heat dried into pellets and beneficially reused.Compared to the conventional design-bid-build approach, the design-build-own-operate public/private partnership is expected to provide 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 will provide a diversified and reliable biosolids program. The District expects to complete negotiations and have an approved contract with the private company by June 2002. The BRF is will be constructed and operational by mid-2004.