Biosolid Drying System Turns Revenue Drain into Revenue Source

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thermaflite logoA mid-sized Arkansas city has eliminated transportation and landfill costs associated with biosolid waste disposal by using Therma-Flite’s Bio-Scru thermal dryer. The city needed a system that could transform biosolids into Class A product.

The city’s previous treatment system consisted of an advanced nutrient removal system and the production of Class B waste, which was becoming increasingly expensive to dispose of. Legal activity involving phosphorous issues in the Illinois River Watershed made land application impossible, and the city was forced to ship its Class B waste out of state for landfilling. With almost 80 percent water content, trucking and disposal costs were running the city more than $400,000 per year.

After a thorough technology review, the city selected Therma-Flite’s drying system in 2011 and began using it in July 2013.

Not only have the city’s transportation and disposal costs been eliminated, the Class A product produced by the drying system has become a revenue source, with one company paying the city by the ton to haul the product away.

Class A product is used as a soil amendment by sod farms to grow turf, landscaping companies that need high volumes of fertilized soil for commercial and residential clients, golf courses and parks that need nutrient rich soil to maintain visually appealing grounds, and livestock farmers who utilize the soil amendment for hayfields that feed their cattle and horse herds.

Because the thermal drying system has a relatively small footprint, it fits inside a smaller building and is more cost-effective for the city to run. Its continuous feed system avoids odor issues associated with batch systems. Once programmed, the dryer can run 24 hours per day.

Environment + Energy Leader