As reported back in January, three major New England wastewater utilities have teamed up to study the potential for a Regional Biosolids Management Facility which would address their future solids handling needs.  Back in March, the Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC), Upper Blackstone Clean Water, and the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding that paved the way to move ahead with the study.  It will be financed equally by the three water utilities. The study is being driven by a lack of biosolids end-use and disposal capacity in the region, with all four facilities looking at solids management equipment and process replacements in the near future, as well as service contracts that are expiring.   

In June of this year, the three project partners executed a contract with Stantec of Boston.  The Stantec team includes CDM Smith, Kleinfelder, and several private consultants.  Per the original Request for Qualifications/Proposals, in Phase 1 of the project, the Stantec team will be charged with “determining the value proposition” of a regional facility, examining numerous aspects of the issue and providing the project partners with enough information to decide if further investment is justified.

Together, the project partners serve a population of about 860,000 people including numerous commercial and industrial customers.  The total annual solids production for the 4 facilities (NBC has two) is nearly 40,000 dry tons annually.  If the project partners decide there is value in moving ahead, Phase 2 of the project will determine the economic viability and identify any legal, regulatory, or other roadblocks for such a project.  With four facilities, three entities with three governing boards, and two states involved in this project, it promises to be complicated.

In addition to financial feasibility, the project team is also tasked with looking at several non-financial considerations such as impact on climate change and the community where such a facility might be located. The team will need to vet at least two technologies for processing wastewater solids.  Currently, Springfield ships its sludge off-site to landfill or incineration.  Upper Blackstone has 2 multiple hearth incinerators.  NBC’s Bucklin Point Facility has anaerobic digesters with the remaining solids shipped off-site for incineration or landfilling as are all the solids from NBC’s Field’s Point facility.  A regional facility to treat all the solids from these three large utilities, and maybe some additional capacity, could be a huge help as landfill, incineration and land application outlets continue to dwindle.  NEBRAMail will be following this project as it advances.