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The solid byproduct of Peachtree City's wastewater treatment process

is no longer destined for the landfill.

The bio-solid will instead be hauled to a plant in Plains, Ga., where

it will be composted into fertilizer, according to Larry Turner, general

manager of the Peachtree City Water and Sewer Authority.

In addition to being more environmentally friendly, the move will also

save a projected $27,000 a year, Turner said. That's because the

price for landfill disposal has increased, while the cost of composting

the material has decreased in recent years.

The bio-solid is actually rich in nutrients, noted WASA operations division

manager Susan Johnson.

"Basically, the product that's leaving our plant every day

and was going to the landfill is a nutrient-rich substance that can be

used as a soil amendment," Johnson said.

Once the bio-solid is composted, it is rated Class A, meaning it can

be used on any type of plants including those grown for food, Turner

noted.

The bio-solid consists of organisms that die after treating the wastewater,

Johnson said. Also called "sludge," the bio-solid is dewatered

through a conveyor belt that squeezes water out.

After that process, the bio-solid is collected in a 20-yard trailer

so it can be hauled off. Johnson said the city fills roughly seven of

these trailers a week.

Some sewer systems use incinerators to dispose of sludge, but air quality

guidelines make that problematic, Turner noted.

Ironically, the company WASA has contracted with for the composting

operations is headquartered in Peachtree City: Erthproducts. By contracting

out the service, WASA avoids the need to build and maintain additional

facilities, Johnson said.

She also noted that the sludge undergoes extensive testing once a year

for 129 different pollutants specified by the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency.

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