July 27, 2010
By Daniel Strain and Mark Shwartz
Within the sludge of wastewater treatment plants is an invisible world teeming with microbes. Here, diverse species of bacteria convert solid and liquid wastes into gases, some of which contribute to global warming.
Now two Stanford University engineers are developing a new sewage treatment process that would actually increase the production of two greenhouse gases – nitrous oxide (aka, “laughing gas”) and methane – and use the gases to power the treatment plant.
By Wendy Wert
On May 20, 2010, the California Water Environment Association (CWEA) Los Angeles Basin Section (LABS) presented a regional composting update at the Monterey Hill Steakhouse in Monterey Park. The featured speaker was Jeff Ziegenbein, Deputy Manager of Operations for Inland Empire Regional Composting Facility (IERCF). The IERCA was created in 2002 by a joint powers agreement between the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) and the County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (CSDLAC). The agencies have evaluated composting as an economically and environmentally sound method of beneficially reusing biosolids from publically owned treatment works (POTWs).
By Alec Mackie, LABS Corporate Director
The City’s Bureau of Engineering has completed design work on a critically needed second sewer force main to manage peak flows from the Venice Pumping Plant to the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant. The City is ready to start building the $60 million, 2 mile force main but a new court case has stopped the project.
For PDF copies of the presentations click here>
The southern meeting took place in the conference center at the LACSD's Joint Adminstration Offices in Whittier.
By Wendy Wert
CWEA Training Coordination Committee Chair
LACSD
and Jon Hay
CWEA Biosolids Committee Chair
Black & Veatch
On January 26, 2010, the California Water Environment Association (CWEA) Biosolids Committee hosted a specialty conference “Understanding Future Regulatory Trends and Impacts on Biosolids Management in California” at the Los Angeles Sanitation Districts Joint Administration Office in Whittier. This one-day biosolids specialty conference, which trained 76 people, consisted of a series of technical presentations separated by interactive discussions between leading experts and attendees. The morning session consisted of opening remarks and a review of the Part 503 regulations presented by the conference Chair, followed by six technical presentations. The innovative networking lunch also served as a venue for an update on Assembly Bill 32 and Green House Gas emissions standards (GHGs) presented by Patrick Griffith. The afternoon session, consisted of five technical presentations, and closing remarks delivered by the conference co-chair.
A total of 12 speakers gave presentations that covered a wide range of relevant topics, including current trends in biosolids regulations, application and limitations of the general order, an overview of the biosolids composting rule, county ordinances and local issues, national regulatory trends, impacts of air quality regulations, methods of managing biosolids that generate renewable power, and several case studies that demonstrated emerging technologies and illustrated successful regional solutions. The speakers also presented on these same topics at SFPUC in San Francisco on January 27. This event trained 160 CWEA members and non-members.
2010 CWEA Biosolids Conference – Understanding Future Regulatory Trends & Impacts on Biosolids Management
January 26, 2010
LACSD Conference Center, Whittier
January 27, 2010
San Francisco
(PDFs) “The posted presentations are for the personal use of CWEA Biosolids Conference attendees. These presentations may not be reproduced without the authors written consent.”
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Opening Remarks - Part 503 – Jon Hay, Black & Veatch / Dave Bechtel, Lee & Ro, Southern Conference Hosts
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Agenda - (North Conference)
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State General Order for Biosolids - Jarrod Ramsey-Lewis, SWRCB
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Biosolids Composting Rules – Ken Decio, Cal-Recycle (presented by Greg)
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Local Regulatory Issues and Ordinances – Matt Bao, LACSD
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Air Pollution Control Regulations – Layne Baroldi, Synagro
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National Regulatory Trends & Issues - Greg Kester, CASA
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Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Strategies – Patrick Griffith, LACSD
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Rialto Slurry Carb® Facility - Ray Kearney, Enertech
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IEUA Composting Facility – Jeff Ziengenbien, IEUA
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Ventura Regional Biosolids - Mark Lawler, VRSD
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City of Los Angeles TIRE Project - Omar Moghaddam, City of LA
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Biosolids to Energy – a Coalition Approach – Caroline Quinn, Delta Diablo SD (North conference)
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California’s First Design-Build Biosolids Thermal Dryer - Ruben Robles, Sacramento Regional County SD (North conference)
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SFPUC San Francisco Greasecycle - Todd Jordon, Carollo (North conference)
City of Los Angeles Terminal Island Renewable Energy demonstration project near the Port of LA (credit: City of LA).
The City’s innovative biosolids-to-energy project at the Terminal Island Water Reclamation Plant has received stimulus funding from the Department of Energy to continue work on the biosolids injection and energy recovery project. Funds will be used to expand the facility as well as drill the third well on the site. Biosolids are injected into deep underground former oil deposits where geothermal energy and pressure heats the biosolids and converts them to biogas.
The biogas generated by the heated biosolids is recovered and used to run a turbine which can power up to 3,000 Los Angeles homes according to the City. Deep well injection also sequesters the carbon and reduces the number of daily truck trips needed to haul biosolids from the City’s coastal wastewater treatment plants to distant farm lands where they are safely used as fertilizer. the T.I.R.E. is the first project of its kind in the nation.
We are honored to have the Terminal Island Renewable Energy project selected for this research grant. TIRE is already at the forefront of technology, and we look forward to seeing how the results of this additional research can help us achieve our mission of protecting public health and the environment,” said Enrique C. Zaldivar, Director, Bureau of Sanitation
Read the City of LA press release here.
LABS hosted a dinner presentation by City of LA Project Manager Omar Moghaddam, that story is here.
Environmental news website Clean Skies recently took a video tour of EnerTech’s biosolids processing facility in the Inland Empire city of Rialto. Their patented SlurryCarb system is turning 270,000 wet tons of biosolids into “e-fuel” to power local cement kilns and other local power users.
Riverside Mayor Ronald Loveridge had the best quote, “We’ve been taking our biosolids to Arizona, rather than Arizona they come here – with less trips, less cost and what is produced hereis used as fuel – I’m not sure how you can get any better deal than this.”
EnerTech’s high-tech waste-to-energy biosolids facility in Rialto has officially commenced operation the company announced on Thursday.
The facility is using the “SlurryCarb” process to turn 270,000 wet tons of biosolids from several local agencies into “e-fuel” – dried pellets that can be used to fire nearby cement kilns. The Atlanta based company also release some great photos of the new facility. HDR was the consulting engineer on the project was .
The announcement got nice press in the PE, NYT and on Reuters (links and pictures after the jump…).
LACSD and IEUA are inviting the media to a special ceremony on Friday May 8th at 10:00am to inaugurate a brand new high-tech composting facility which is housed entirely indoors. The facility combines biosolids from wastewater treatment plants together with tree trimmings and other discarded organic matter in order to form a nutrient rich compost.
“Innovative and progressive projects start with innovative and progressive leadership, that is what we have in this collaborative effort between the boards of IEUA and the Sanitation Districts,” said Steve Maguin, LACSD’s General Manager.
LABS hosted a dinner meeting on the project in 2007.
Centrifuge at the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant in Carson. (Credit: LACSD)
By Wendy Wert, Training Coordination Committee Chair
and Jon Hay, CWEA Biosolids Committee Chair
On January 27, 2009, the California Water Environment Association (CWEA) Biosolids Committee hosted a specialty conference “Reducing Solids Handling & Disposal Costs through Dewatering System Optimization” at the Carson Community Center in Carson, CA.
This one-day biosolids specialty conference, which trained 80 people, consisted of a series of technical presentations and a tour of the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) in Carson. During the morning session, the opening remarks were presented by the conference chair followed by seven technical presentations, orientation for JWPCP tour. During the afternoon session, conference attendees traveled by bus to JWPCP where they toured solids handling and odor control facilities, heard three technical presentations, and participated in panel discussion with the speakers.
