Biosolids News

January 25, 2012
 

NBP News

NBP NBP January 11, 2012 Webcast Available for Downloading 

The NBP January 11, 2012 webcast “When Opportunity Knocks, How Can Municipalities and POTWs Partner with the Biofuels Industry” is available for viewing  by clicking here
 

Online now, the January2012 issue WEF’s Water Environment & Technology (WE&T) includes the annual State of the Industry section. Read about where energy management, nutrient removal, project financing, and overflow prevention are today and what’s likely in store for 2012.

Click on the link to jump to the article listed 

• The future of energy management: Traffic on the road to net-zero energy is increasing, thanks to greater interest, better solutions 
• How low can treatment plants go?: As nutrient limits tighten throughout the United States, treatment plants seek to improve performance while lowering costs 
• Navigating a rough terrain: With rumors of impending bond defaults, an ongoing bad economy, and reductions of federal funding, water and wastewater utilities face another rocky financial year 
•  Preventing overflows right from the start: A growing number of cities are cutting costs and meeting regulatory standards by installing green infrastructure  

WEF 2012 Residuals & Biosolids Specialty Conference Committee Meetingsin  Raleigh, NC

Saturday, March 24  

·         National Biosolids Partnership with Certified Agencies  

 To view NBP Certified and Active Organizations, click here 

 To view NBP EMS Documents, click here  
 

Around the Nation

Orlando, FL Claims Success Turning Waste to Energy 

A The January 9 Orlando, FL Sentinel reported that after five years of work, Orlando officials and their private-sector partners think they've succeeded in developing the technology to convert human waste byproducts into clean energy. Under a 2007 agreement, city workers spent years and $8.5 million building a test reactor capable of breaking down solids from the wastewater treatment process. The reactor produces also produces enough heat to generate electricity. FullStory 
 

Austin, TX Using Green Innovation To Beat The Utility Blues

The U.S. Department of Energy reported that the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant in Austin, Texas, located on 1,200 acres of land along the Colorado River, is a national model for innovative approaches to improve the environment, such as reducing waste, producing compost, and protecting ecosystems. Each year, thousands of tons of biosolids, the nutrient-rich organic materials resulting from the treatment of sewage sludge, are anaerobically digested and composted with Austin’s yard trimmings into an EPA-certified soil conditioner called “Dillo Dirt” (as in armadillo). This popular product is sold to commercial vendors for sale and use in public landscaping projects across the city. Demand for “Dillo Dirt” often exceeds available supply. FullStory
 

PSE&G will Use Wastewater to Generate Heat at Camden County, NJ Treatment Plant

The January 23 Philadelphia Inquirer reported that PSE&G is funding a $1.3 million project at the Camden County, NJ Municipal Utility Authority using geothermal technology to heat buildings with raw wastewater.  The technology is used in Europe and China. Paris' historic sewer system -- a popular tourist destination -- also has a project in the works. But the local project is believed to be the first of its kind in the United States, said Jack DiEnna, executive director of the Geothermal National and International Initiative, an industry group. At the facility in the Waterfront South section of Camden, which takes effluent from across the county, heat from raw wastewater will be extracted in a closed system, then pumped through the facility's existing heating system, reducing its need for electricity.  FullStory
 

Wilmington, DE Introduces Plan to Manage Biosolids

WDEL-1150 am reported on January 23 that Wilmington, DE officials are outlining the second part of a $50 million renewable energy project. Mayor Baker's chief of staff Bill Montgomery says residents will learn about a plan to set up a thermal drying facility at the Hay Road wastewater treatment plant. The methane gas generated by the drying process will be used to power the plant. City officials say when Phase I and Phase II are combined, it will replace 50 percent of the city's grid electricity consumption with renewable generation. FullStory
 

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Recognizes City Employee for Efforts in Program with Farmers 

The January 20 Fremont, NE Tribune reported that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Service recognized a Fremont city official Thursday for his efforts in instituting a biosolids distribution program with area crop producers. Extension Educator Dave Varner presented the Award for Outstanding Contributions to Dodge County Extension Agriculture Education Programming to Wastewater Plant Superintendent Keith Kontor during a crop production clinic at the Midland University Event Center. "Keith initiated a partnership with the local Extension program in 2000 seeking an opportunity to recycle City of Fremont wastewater treatment biosolids into farmland fertilizer," Varner said. "He approached the Extension asking for help in developing and managing the Fremont Biosolids Farmland Application program. FullStory
 

Houston County, GA Making Power and Money from Landfill

The January 16 Macon, GA Telegraph reported that down deep in the Houston County landfill, the expired eggs someone tossed in the garbage years ago are still there and serving a purpose. Those eggs, and just about everything else in the landfill, are slowly decomposing and releasing methane gas. Throughout the hills of garbage, hidden now by a layer of dirt and grass, is a system of pipes that collects the methane and delivers it to a building on the site. "The gas coming out the landfill is a living, breathing organism that fluctuates with conditions," said Drew Erickson, who supervises the plant that converts the methane to electricity. A year into operation, the system is working at full capacity and producing 3.2 kilowatts of electricity, enough to power about 1,000 homes. FullStory
 

To view NBP News Center, click here  

To view biosolids contacts across the nation, click here 

Conferences

Registration Open for 2012 Residuals and Biosolids Specialty Conference

Join WEF in Raleigh, N.C. March 25–28, 2012 for the 26th Annual Residuals and Biosolids Conference. This conference will highlight beneficial reuse options, science, and technologies currently available to leverage biosolids as a valuable resource. This is one show you won't want to miss, so register today! To view list of WEF conferences and webcasts, click here 

Exhibition and Sponsorship Opportunities Selling Fast at Residuals and Biosolids 2012

Exhibiting at the 26th Annual Residuals and Biosolids 2012 Conference provides networking access to a targeted audience of new and returning attendees with a high level of buying intent. Consider sponsoring to receive unparalleled exposure before, during, and after the show with registration giveaway items such as eco-friendly lanyards or water bottles.

 To view WEF conferences and webcasts, click here  

Training

NBP January 11, 2012 Webcast Available for Downloading

The NBP January 11, 2012 webcast “When Opportunity Knocks, How Can Municipalities and POTWs Partner with the Biofuels Industry” is available for viewing  by clicking here 
 

 Past NBP Webcast Audio Links 

• December 7, 2011 – Renewable Green Energy from Wastewater and Biosolids: POTW Case Studies Attempting to Achieve Net Energy Production 
• July 27, 2011 Terminal Island Renewable Energy - L.A.’s Biosolids Slurry & Brine Injection Project 
• April 21, 2011 Event: Implementing the New Sewage Sludge Incineration MACT Standards 
• January 26, 2011 - Charting the Future of Biosolids Management: Forum Findings on Trends and Drivers 
• September 20, 2010 - Combined Heat and Power Generation at WWTF 

To view NBP webcast presentations, click here