City's Class A Biosolids Program Benefits Community and Environment

Jan. 28, 2002

City of Goldsboro, N.C. Strikes Gold with Its New Biosolids Management Program

Challenge
Like many other growing communities, the city of Goldsboro, N.C. needed to increase its wastewater treatment capability and improve its wastewater residual (or biosolids) management to ensure future growth and environmental safety. In addition to supporting the city’s increasing population, implementing a new biosolids management program would help protect the local watershed and reduce the overall cost associated with the biosolids’ disposal.

Prior to 2001, the city was producing Class B biosolids that were used in a limited capacity for land-application. The city had to pay for the costs associated with hauling and distributing the biosolids to area farmers. Although farmers can safely use this semi-solid material, which continues to decompose when exposed to heat, wind and soil microbes, this method of distribution was proving rather expensive for the city of Goldsboro.

As a result, the city sought a long-term, economical solution to its biosolids management that would also benefit the environment and local community. In other words, it needed to produce Class A biosolids.

Solution
As part of its wastewater treatment plant’s (WWTP) expansion, USFilter provided Goldsboro with an IPS composting system. Prior to selecting the USFilter® technology, Goldsboro’s WWTP employees visited other nearby IPS composting facilities, inspecting and evaluating equipment performance and gauging overall client satisfaction.

The fully enclosed, IPS composting system mixes, shreds and moves the organic material through in-vessel composting bays, also incorporating an organic media biofilter that acts as a natural odor control system. With its new installation, the Goldsboro composting facility will process 12,500 tons of biosolids and 12,000 tons of yardwaste annually.

With characteristics that help to control erosion, establish and maintain turf, and improve soil chemistry and structure, the compost produced at the Goldsboro WWTP meets the U.S. EPA’s biosolids standards for Class A and Vector Attraction Reduction (VAR). The compost product is intended for landscaping, golf courses, nurseries, and other beneficial uses.

The city of Goldsboro will use the IPS composting system to process the biosolids from its wastewater treatment operations and the community yardwaste for reuse.

Results
According to Richard Slozak, Goldsboro city manager, USFilter is helping put organic waste to work for the environment and the WWTP’s bottom line. Beneficial reuse of these composted materials will reduce the city’s hauling and handling costs, help protect the local watershed and deliver Class A biosolids to area farmers, businesses and to some extent, residences.

The city of Goldsboro believes that other municipalities that are confronted with similar biosolids disposal, economic and environmental concerns might eventually choose to also handle their biosolids by composting.

For Goldsboro, the IPS composting system has contributed greatly to improving the local community.

Contact
Paul Gormsen

USFilter

Phone: (508) 347-4560

Fax: (508) 347-4610

E-mail: [email protected]

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