MidAtlantic Biosolids Association

Biosolids NewsClips - May 15, 2025

The May NewsClips contains updates from across the biosolids and wastewater industries. This month’s edition provides multiple articles questioning the findings and basis of the EPA draft Risk Assessment for PFOA and PFOS. Concurrently, USEPA Adminstrator Lee Zeldin signaled that there needs to be engagement between Congress and industry to establish a clear PFAS liability framework that ensures the polluter pays and passive receivers are protected. Meanwhile, a continual flow of regional and national biosolids articles within these NewsClips show that conflict and opposition continues to get “clicks”. 

As always, MABA is committed to keeping members informed and engaged. If you have biosolids news to share or would like to join the Communications Committee, please contact Mary Baker at 845-901-7905 or [email protected]

MABA Region

Carbon joins fight against sludge on farmland
Carbon County, PA (9 Apr 2025) - Carbon County has taken a stand in the fight against using sewage sludge as a fertilizer. Earlier this month, the board of commissioners sent a letter to Gov. Josh Shapiro, stating that the county is joining with other concerned organizations in asking that the state “take immediate steps to protect the people of Pennsylvania from being exposed to the harmful chemicals contained in sewage sludge.” The letter references a United States Environmental Protection Agency draft risk assessment, which was released in January, that evaluates the use of this sludge as a fertilizer on agricultural lands.

Toxic PFAS contamination of farms, food and water sources is avoidable, SELC says to EPA
Washington, DC (10 Apr 2025) - Toxic PFAS contamination of food crops, livestock and drinking water from sewage sludge used as fertilizer could be avoided to protect farming families and other communities if wastewater treatment plants and industries used their ability to stop pollution from industrial sources, the Southern Environmental Law Center said in comments filed today with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Bethlehem tables vote on biosolids resolution, expresses support for Albany County moratorium
Albany County, NY (16 Apr 2025) - The Bethlehem Town Board postponed its plea for Albany County to extend and potentially make permanent a moratorium on the use of biosolids and fertilizers derived from biosolids. The resolution, introduced as part of ongoing discussions surrounding source water protection, was tabled Wednesday, April 9, to allow Town Board member Maureen Cunningham, a principal author of the measure, to participate in the vote. The board will revisit the resolution when it meets again on Wednesday, April 23.
PFAS in biosolids used on New Scotland farm match chemicals detected in Bethlehem water sources
Town of Bethlehem to vote on new water plan
Bethlehem adopts water protection plan for town watershed
After challenges, Albany County Town of Bethlehem approves water protection plan
Voorheesville man pushes for biosolid moratorium after water problems
Sewage sludge contaminates the drinking wells of New Scotland, neighbors say

Biosolids Rep Questions EPA Risk Rating
Lancaster, PA (17 Apr 2025) - The federal government is giving an exaggerated impression of the health risks from forever chemicals in biosolids, an industry representative said. The Environmental Protection Agency’s draft risk assessment, released in January, is focused on the chemical exposure of farm families and is not applicable to the general public, said Nick Hines, an environmental scientist with the consulting firm Material Matters. Hines spoke during an April 15 webinar presented by the Mid-Atlantic Biosolids Association and hosted by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.

Permit approved for biosolids storage facility in Bedford County
Bedford County, VA (18 Apr 2025) - A special use permit to establish a sewage sludge use on a Bedford County farm where a storage shed for the spreading of biosolids is located received unanimous approval from county officials Monday. The permit gives the applicants, Don Gardner and family members, the ability to store Class B biosolids — treated sludge from wastewater treatment facilities used as fertilizer — and allows the material to be distributed to any farm permitted to spread it within the county.

A hot ticket in NYC? The wastewater treatment plant tour.
New York, NY (19 Apr 2025) - For a certain breed of New Yorker, the best kind of exclusive access is not to the hottest new restaurant, the most celebrity-filled party or the hardest-to-book experience: It’s inside access to municipal infrastructure. I am this breed of New Yorker. So when I recently learned Open House New York was distributing $10 tickets by lottery for a tour of Brooklyn’s Owls Head Wastewater Treatment Plant, I immediately entered. I’d previously toured the Newtown Creek Digester Eggs and enjoyed it greatly and was eager to see inside another wastewater plant.

Spring in Bloom: Making fertilizer from every flush in the DC region
Chevy Chase, MD (24 Apr 2025) - What if we told you that every time you answer nature’s call, your contribution is being converted into some of the most efficient fertilizer on the market? In a special Earth Month episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP’s Matt Kaufax went to Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant in Southwest D.C. to find out more about a special compound called “Bloom.” Bloom is what’s known as a “Class A Exceptional Quality” biosolids, meaning it meets the highest quality EPA standards for wastewater treatment byproducts.

Administrator Zeldin Announces Major EPA Actions to Combat PFAS Contamination
Washington, DC (28 Apr 2025) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin outlined upcoming agency action to address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). In this suite of actions, Administrator Zeldin announced a long list that included in part the designation of an agency lead for PFAS, the creation of effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) for certain PFAS to stop these forever chemicals from entering drinking water systems, and initiatives to engage with Congress and industry to establish a clear liability framework that ensures the polluter pays and passive receivers are protected. In line with Administrator Zeldin’s Powering the Great American Comeback initiative, EPA’s work in this space will advance Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American, and Pillar 3: Permitting Reform, Cooperative Federalism, and Cross-Agency Partnership.  
E.P.A. Says It Will Tackle ‘Forever Chemicals.’ Details Are Sparse.
EPA reveals PFAS action plan
PFAS Announcement; Administrator Zeldin Signals Continuation of EPA Objectives

EPA Extends Comment Period on Draft Sewage Sludge Risk Assessment for PFOA and PFOS
Washington, DC (29 Apr 2025) - On April 17, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) extended the comment period on a draft risk assessment of the potential human health risks associated with the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in biosolids, also known as sewage sludge. 90 Fed. Reg. 16128. According to EPA, the draft risk assessment “reflects the agency’s latest scientific understanding of the potential risks to human health and the environment posed by the presence of PFOA and PFOS in sewage sludge that is land applied as a soil conditioner or fertilizer (on agricultural, forested, and other lands), surface disposed, or incinerated.” Comments are now due August 14, 2025.
EPA Extends Comment Period on Draft Risk Assessment for PFOA and PFOS in Biosolids

Can Baltimore escape its toxic attachment to sludge?
Baltimore, MD (29 Apr 2025) - Every day, Baltimore sewage funnels into a building at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant, where a local company processes it into dark sludge and ships it to farms, to be spread over cropland. Known in the industry as “biosolids,” the sewage sludge from Baltimore-area homes and businesses has helped crops grow this way for decades, providing a cheap and nutrient-rich alternative to traditional fertilizers. But the practice faces new scrutiny across the country.

Lawmakers, advocates, and farmers push for NY ban on toxic biosolids to protect farmland
Albany, NY (30 Apr 2025) - New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles, alongside Environmental Advocates, bipartisan elected leaders, and farmers, have called for a ban on the use of toxic sewage sludge, known as biosolids, on farmland. The call was made during a press conference at the Legislative Office Building, focusing on legislation (S.5759 / A.6192) that proposes a five-year moratorium on the land application of biosolids, which are byproducts of wastewater treatment.
Harckham calls for ban of sewage sludge on farmland
NY Farmers Call for Ban of Toxic Sludge on Farmland

‘Forever chemicals’ in sludge fertilizer resisted in Virginia, Maryland
Mayo, MD (30 Apr 2025) - The glass of water that Jennifer Campagne draws from her kitchen faucet looks clear and clean. But ever since she had her household well tested and found “forever chemicals” in it, she’s leery of using it, even to make coffee. Campagne lives in a small cinderblock cottage in Hague, VA, on the overwhelmingly rural Northern Neck between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers. There are no nearby military bases, fire houses, factories or other likely sources of the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, detected in her well. There is, though, a farm field about 30 yards from her home where “biosolids,” or treated sewage sludge, has been spread as fertilizer for corn and soybeans.

PFAS in Fertilizer From Sewage Spurs State Control Efforts
Arlington, VA (1 May 2025) - Similar worries prompted lawmakers in at least 11 other states to collectively introduce this year nearly two dozen bills tackling PFAS in sewage sludge. The measures include bans, testing, disposal guidelines, liability exemptions for water utilities and farmers, and aid for contaminated farms.
Yet, wastewater treatment plant officials warn about unintended consequences. Utilities or states could be left without viable options to manage the millions of tons of waste from homes, businesses, and stormwater drains.

Sewage Sludge Fertilizer From Maryland? Virginians Say No Thanks
New York, NY (8 May 2025) - In 2023, sewage plants in Maryland started to make a troubling discovery. Harmful “forever chemicals” were contaminating the state’s sewage, much of which is turned into fertilizer and spread on farmland. To protect its food and drinking water, Maryland has started restricting the use of fertilizer made from sewage sludge. At the same time, a major sludge-fertilizer maker, Synagro, has been applying for permits to use more of it across the state border, on farms in Virginia.

Nationally

Smells near Caldwell County farmland prompting concerns for landowners, neighbors
Caldwell County, MO (1 Apr 2025) - Neighbors around Missouri Route 116 near Southwest Boulder Road are becoming concerned about smells causing people to gag and close off their homes. Several people who live nearby told KMBC 9 Investigates the smells are coming from biosolid fertilizer placed on farmland.The process of spreading biosolids from sewage sludge is legal but increasingly controversial.

Johnson County seeks disaster relief. Will it see state, federal help for forever chemicals?
Johnson County, TX (1 Apr 2025) - After requesting emergency assistance from state officials, Johnson County leaders say they have yet to see funding to help farmers, who believe their land, water and cattle have been contaminated by harmful chemicals. Johnson County Judge Christopher Boedeker says the county has had “significant” communication with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, which responds to the governor’s office. The department is working with federal officials to determine if Johnson County will be eligible for federal emergency funds, said Boedeker.
Texas ends sewage fertilizer deal over PFAS pollution concerns
North Texas county sues feds over PFAS contamination
Biosolids on Trial: The PFAS Lawsuit Against Synagro
‘A battle of the scientific experts’: PFAS research at centre of Texas farms lawsuit contested
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raises doubts over safe application of forever chemicals in Texas
RFK Jr. speaks about biosolids, which have been linked to the deaths of cows

Sludge to be shipped out of the Valley rather than spread on local ranch land
Westcliffe, CO (1 Apr 2025) - On Monday, Round Mountain Water and Sanitation District (RMWSD) General Manager Dave Schneider announced that RMWSD was “aggressively exploring alternative options for a suitable sludge disposal site.” This announcement came on the heels of a meeting that was held last Thursday night regarding the application of Denali Water Solutions with the State of Colorado to spread sewage sludge from RMWSD lagoons on a ranch south of town. The three-hour meeting held by the Board of County Commissioners allowed all involved to get to the foundation of what Denali was proposing to do.
Commissioners vote to donate $40,000 to RMWSD to ship sludge out of the Valley
A master class of propaganda spin regarding sewage sludge

First-of-its-kind facility in the Midwest to enter testing phase as certification continues
Kansas City, MO (4 Apr 2025) - The City of Kansas City, Missouri, announced on Friday, April 4, that KC Water is expected to launch the next phase of the Blue River Biosolids Facility upgrade next week as system testing is set to begin. The milestone positions the City of Fountains as a national leader in sustainable wastewater management.City leaders noted that the upgraded facility, at 7300 Hawthorne Rd. near I-435 and Front St., will be the first in the Midwest to use a biosolid treatment system with a Thermal Hydrolysis Process (THP). The innovative tech converts wastewater solids into Class A biosolids and biogas to reduce environmental impacts.

From waste to clean water: Lt. Governor, state representative tour Sun Prairie treatment plant
Sun Prairie, WI (7 Apr 2025) - Sun Prairie may be best known as the birthplace of Georgia O’Keefe and for Jimmy the Groundhog’s annual spring prognostication, but on April 4, another unique feature brought state and local officials to the city. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and Rep. Andrew Hysell, along with recently elected Mayor Steve Stocker and Alderperson Bill Baker, took a tour of the city’s wastewater treatment plant, known as a model for sustainability.Jeremy Cramer, the plant director, led the tour showing the expansion project underway and explaining how the plant produces 4 million gallons of clean water per day from the city’s wastewater.

The Green Issue: Chemicals Are Forever
Nashville, TN (10 Apr 2025) - One way PFAs get into the water and land is through sludge — all of the solids left over after wastewater treatment plants screen the water out. For years, advocacy groups like the Sierra Club have been working to pass legislation to more strictly regulate the sludge (also known as biosolids, or more colloquially as “shit”), which is often dumped in rural areas of the state to fertilize the land. The group brought a bill again in this year’s legislative session, sponsored by state Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma), in an attempt to regulate the biosolids.

Future of Gardner Sludge Dump Raises Concerns for Local Residents
Gardner, MA (11 Apr 2025) - Gardner faces an impending crisis as the city’s sludge landfill at 808 West Street nears capacity, projected between 2027 and 2030. City officials have identified expanding the landfill as the most feasible solution. A Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) has been submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MDFP), but approval is hardly certain.
Deadline to comment on proposed sludge landfill expansion is May 9: What are the options?
Comments on Gardner sludge landfill expansion due Friday

Mayor Lori Stone proposes endowing Warren's opioid funds, touts wastewater plant upgrades
Macomb County, MI (14 Apr 2025) - Warren Mayor Lori Stone proposed creating an endowment for the city's opioid settlement funds and outlined a plan to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant at her annual budget presentation Monday evening. Stone presented a $430.5 million proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, which begins July 1, in an address to dozens of people at the Warren Community Center. The budget represents a 24.3% increase over the current fiscal year's budget of $346.3 million.

Washington State Expands Oversight of PFAS in Biosolids
Olympia, WA (15 Apr 2025) - As the environmental and public health risks of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) continue to escalate, Washington State is taking a decisive step to address their presence in biosolids. Under the amended Senate Bill 5033, adopted April 10, 2025, the state will implement a phased program requiring biosolids facilities to test for PFAS compounds and report their findings to the Department of Ecology.

PFAS Issue Splits Williamstown Select Board on Sewer Rate
Williamstown, MA (15 Apr 2025) - About 20 residents and the majority of the Select Board on Monday sent a message to the Hoosac Water Quality District: importing sludge and converting it to compost is a bad deal and unethical. In a rare break from past practice, a divided Select Board voted against recommending that town meeting OK the HWQD's proposed fiscal year 2026 sewer rate. The district's plan to accept sludge from other communities and sell off the resulting compost through waste hauler Casella became an issue this winter when the HWQD presented its proposed FY26 sewer rate to the town's Finance Committee.
Williamstown select board opts to not recommend controversial sludge plan in tight vote
Select Board signals objection to sewage sludge compost plan
Sludge composting debate raises messy questions for Williamstown

Laredo aldermen updated on sewer project and sludge removal work
Laredo, MO (17 Apr 2025) - At the April 14 Laredo Board of Aldermen meeting, representatives from McClure Engineering and Smico Contracting Group provided updates on the ongoing Laredo sewer project. Philip Wilson and Michael Smith of McClure Engineering, along with Mason Smith from Smico Contracting Group, addressed the board regarding the project’s status. Smico is coordinating with a sludge removal company to establish a timeline for sludge removal.

State bills tackling PFAS in biosolids advance
Newton, MA (22 Apr 2025) - Washington is poised to become the latest state to enact legislation addressing PFAS contamination in sewage sludge after a bill requiring testing passed the legislature this week. It comes as state regulators and water utilities struggle to identify solutions for contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The issue has captured the attention of policymakers amid a broader rethink of the use of PFAS chemicals, sometimes called “forever chemicals,” which are used in a wide range of industrial processes and consumer products. 
WA lawmakers want PFAS testing for human waste fertilizer

Sewage fertilizer can cause illness and harm the environment. Why are some Oklahoma officials resistant to a ban?
Champaign, IL (23 Apr 2025) - After seeing a doctor and getting bloodwork done, Yockel got a call from the Oklahoma State Department of Health: she had cryptosporidiosis, a potentially deadly illness usually spread through feces-contaminated water. Her property, which she has since sold, was surrounded by farms that use biosolids — a type of fertilizer made from treated human waste. Yockel had moved to the property in 2004, along with her husband and son. Over the years, they all suffered from a range of health problems that worsened every time a fresh batch of biosolids was spread across nearby fields.
Gavel to Gavel: Legislature eyes changes for land application of biosolids and sludges

DeSoto County commissioners vote 3-2 no on biosolid sludge for placement on agriculture fields
DeSoto County, FL (23 Apr 2025) - By a narrow margin Tuesday night, a majority of the DeSoto County Commission voted to deny allowing biosolids sludge — the remains of human waste — to be brought into the county so it can be composted as fertilizer. The vote was 3 to 2 to deny a special exception for the sludge plan. For years this agricultural community was dubbed the Sludge Capital of Florida after unsuccessfully fending off attempts to stop the practice of allowing the sludge to be spread onto agricultural fields.

Daviess County Landfill to release spring compost this Saturday
Daviess County, KY (25 Apr 2025) - The Daviess County Landfill will release its first batch of compost for the spring on Saturday, April 26, according to a release. The compost will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis for $22 per yard. Regular hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon. According to the release, the Composting Operation began more than 15 years ago to help divert yard waste from the Contained Landfill. Leaves collected in the City of Owensboro are combined with sludge from the Regional Water Resource Agency (RWRA) and mixed using a SCARAB compost turner.

IDEM continues review on biosolid request
Bartholomew County, IN (26 Apr 2025) - State environmental regulators say they are continuing to review public comments on a request by the city of Greensburg asking state environmental regulators to allow its wastewater treatment plant to spread biosolids on land in Bartholomew County and other nearby counties. The application, filed Jan. 14, seeks to modify the Greensburg Wastewater Treatment Plant’s existing permit to include Bartholomew, Jennings, Ripley, Rush and Shelby counties, according to records with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Farms tainted by chemicals from notorious SC factory considered for cleanup
Columbia, SC (29 Apr 2025) - A federally backed pollution cleanup in eastern South Carolina could be expanded to include potentially thousands of acres of agricultural land that was fertilized for decades with chemically polluted sludge from a nearby industrial plant. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is examining whether to broaden its cleanup of the old Galey and Lord textile plant, a now abandoned manufacturing site near Darlington, in a move that could become the first of its kind nationally.

Maine Awards $3 Million for Research to Support Farmers Impacted by PFAS
Augusta, ME (29 Apr 2025) - he Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) announced today that the PFAS Fund has awarded $3 million to researchers to conduct studies that will help commercial farmers make informed decisions about utilizing agricultural property impacted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS chemicals from the application of municipal sludge and other sources have impacted 90 Maine farms to varying degrees. Until the practice was banned in Maine in 2022, sludge, or biosolids from wastewater treatment plants was used as a low-cost, abundant fertilizer on certain farms.

Maine activists at the helm of newly-formed national Coalition for Sludge-Free Land
Lewiston, ME (30 Apr 2025) - Maine activists are at the helm of the newly-formed Coalition for Sludge-Free Land launched Wednesday. Maine was the first state to ban land application of sludge in 2022 after the discovery of widespread PFAS contamination of farms. Representative Bill Pluecker, who chairs the legislature's Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, said this coalition will allow Maine to advocate for changes across the country.

Rep. Cortvriend bill for biosolids PFAS testing approved by RI House, heads to Senate
Newport, RI (1 May 2025) - The House of Representatives today approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Terri Cortvriend to require anyone applying for a permit to spread biosolids on land to first test the material for PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The legislation now goes to the Senate. In Rhode Island, land application is not the primary disposal method of biosolids — the solids that are left after sewage is treated — in local sewage treatment facilities. However, because biosolids are nutrient-dense, some farms do use them for fertilizer.

New state bill will bring stronger PFAS monitoring measures
Pateros, WA (5 May 2025) - City Administrator Jord Wilson delivered an advisory to the April 21 city council meeting regarding PFAS, termed the ‘forever chemical’ and pending legislation that will require more testing of water and biosolids on the local level. PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, received national attention about 10 years ago when the state Department of Ecology (DOE) began testing groundwater in the Airway Heights area near Fairchild Air Force Base. DOE found that PFAS levels in drinking water were above safe limits. The contamination was traced back to Fairchild. Airway Heights was ultimately forced to switch to alternative water sources.
WA lawmakers want PFAS testing for human waste fertilizer

Oregon Legislature bans firefighting foam containing PFAS
Portland, OR (5 May 2025) - The Oregon Legislature has passed a bill aiming to protect the health of the state’s firefighters and the environment. Senate Bill 91 prohibits fire departments from using firefighting foam with intentionally added PFAS, or per- and poly-fluorinated substances, except as required by the Federal Aviation Administration or other federal law. PFAS are a family of chemicals used since the 1940s for their heat-, moisture-, grease- and stain-resistant qualities, as well as nonstick qualities.

Internationally

Dog rescued after falling into sludge lagoon
Oxford, England (5 Apr 2025) - A dog has been rescued by firefighters after getting into a sewage treatment plant and falling into a sludge lagoon. Mylo the Jack Russell terrier got under the fence at Thames Water's Oxford Sewage Treatment Works in Grenoble Road on Thursday. Firefighters from the Rewley Road station were called and managed to rescue the 18-month-old dog and reunite it with its owner.

Proper Waste Disposal: Only Human Waste and Toilet Paper Should Go Down the Toilet
Munich, Germany (6 Apr 2025) - In Austria, a growing awareness about the importance of proper waste disposal in toilets has been emphasized by the Association of Austrian Waste Management Companies (VOEB). Gabriele Jüly, the president of the association, highlighted that only human waste and toilet paper should be flushed down toilets. Flushing items such as fats, food scraps, and frying oils can lead to clogged pipes and foul-smelling sewage systems. Additionally, these practices can cause significant problems in pipelines, pumping stations, and wastewater channels.

Sludge Incineration Plant to Be Built in Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar City, Mongolia (9 Apr 2025) - As part of the 24 Mega Projects for Ulaanbaatar City Development, a Sludge Incineration Plant with a daily capacity of 250 cubic meters will be built in 2025-2027. The Plant will dewater and dry sludge from both the New Central Wastewater Treatment Plant of Ulaanbaatar City and domestic sources prior to incineration. This process will contribute to the reduction of soil and water pollution. The facility is designed to process 250 cubic meters of sludge per day, converting it into approximately 5–6 cubic meters of ash. In other words, the Sludge Incineration Plant is expected to handle 238 tons of sludge daily, with a total sludge reserve projected at 843,200 cubic meters. The project site will encompass approximately 40,000 square meters and is planned to be situated in front of the New Central Wastewater Treatment Plant of Ulaanbaatar City.

Investors Transform Waste into Wealth in Hagfors
Munich, Germany (14 Apr 2025) - In a remarkable development in Hagfors, a group of innovative investors is turning waste materials into valuable resources. By utilizing advanced technology to separate sludge from water, they are effectively extracting valuable substances that were previously overlooked. The process involves a sophisticated method where sludge, which typically comprises organic waste, is processed to recover essential components. This method not only contributes to environmental sustainability but also introduces a new economic opportunity in the region.

City OKs $375,000 for work aimed at avoiding sewage spill into lake
Orillia, Ontario, Canada (17 Apr 2025) - At a special council meeting this week, city politicians took action in an effort to avert a crisis at the Orillia Waste Water Treatment Centre (WWTC). The Kitchener Road facility was hit by lightning and caught on fire April 2 when the city was without hydro and amid a state of emergency following the ice storm that ravaged the area. Laura Pye, the city's director of water and wastewater, came to council to request an increase in funds to haul biosolids away from the centre to keep the system from overflowing into Lake Simcoe.

How experts in Saudi Arabia are harnessing the power of microbes to treat wastewater
Riaydh, Saudia Arabia (18 Apr 2025) - What if the answer to wastewater treatment was in the water itself? At King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, a team led by Professor Pascal Saikaly is harnessing the natural power of microbes found in wastewater — not just to clean it, but to generate energy and create valuable resources. Rather than relying on outdated, energy-intensive systems, Saikaly’s team is developing innovative, nature-based solutions that turn waste into a tool for sustainability.

Turning sewage into the world's strongest material
Trafford, England (20 Apr 2025) - Technology that can turn sludge from sewage into both hydrogen fuel and the miracle material graphene is being tested in what has been described as a "world first" trial in Manchester. United Utilities is working with British climate tech firm Levidian on the project at its Davyhulme sewage works in Trafford. Under the scheme, the sludge by-product of sewage treatment is used to produce a biogas, that is then turned into graphene and hydrogen using cutting-edge technology.

Four Workers Die In Bauchi Water Treatment Facility
Bauchi, Nigeria (20 Apr 2025) - The tragic accident happened around 5 pm on Saturday when they were carrying out a sludge cleaning exercise in the plant’s tunnel. In a statement, the Bauchi State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, explained that: “The sludge cleaning operation commenced around 12:00 hours. During the procedure, the staff members entered the clarifier to dislodge pit pipes but were tragically overcome and subsequently retrieved unconscious. Despite immediate medical interventions, they were pronounced dead at the Specialist Hospital, Bauchi.”

Toilets: check. Usage: check. What about waste treatment?
Himachal Pradesh, India (25 Apr 2025) - ince 90% of the population resides in villages, and over 80% of settlements have fewer than 200 residents, becoming open-defecation-free has been a significant milestone. Approximately 99.83% of households have access to and use toilets — 97.19% have toilets within their homes, while 2.36% rely on shared facilities. However, a more pressing challenge has now emerged: waste treatment. Without clear policy interventions and concrete action, Himachal Pradesh risks a sanitation crisis, as accumulated faecal sludge at household and community levels could pose severe health hazards. Reports indicate that several conventional water sources have been contaminated due to improper sludge disposal.

Repair costs a factor in Sarnia's $3.9-million 2024 operating deficit
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada (24 Apr 2025) - Emergency maintenance and repair costs at city arenas, parks, and a biosolids processing plant were significant factors in a $3.9-million operating deficit for Sarnia last year. That’s according to preliminary year-end 2024 financial results, pending audit, city finance officials are reporting. Some unfilled job vacancies saved salary and benefits costs, but not nearly enough to offset things such as lighting, boiler and condenser failures at Progressive Auto Sales Arena, $764,000 in maintenance in various city parks and greenhouses, and emergency dewatering at Sarnia’s biosolids plant after a centrifuge failure, costing $700,000, the city finance report reads.
 
 

April 2025 - Sally Brown Research Library & Commentary

Sally Brown

Provided for consideration to MABA members by
Sally Brown, PhD., University of Washington


April Showers

May flowers are just around the corner. That means that we are still in the middle of those April showers. Here in Seattle those showers are pretty much a fixture of life from October onwards. Seems like those showers last forever. While the showers will go away, they will leave telltale signs other than flowers. You guessed it! More PFAS. This seemed like an opportune time to do a library on PFAS in rainwater. Read on and don’t despair. The May library will go back to the benefits of biosolids.

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We start this library with an article by Chris Higgins: A Never-Ending Story of Per- and Poly fluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs)? For me, this paper is a very effective cheat sheet at keeping track of the PFAS family tree. The first figure in the paper has a great map of the different classes/ compounds - see below:

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You can use that as a cheat sheet. I find it exceedingly difficult to keep all of the classes/ compounds/ precursors in order. This is a helpful guide. The paper is a good general summary of the ubiquity of PFAS compounds, the industrial policy of replacing banned compounds with very similar surrogates and the issues re health, persistence and toxicity. 

Paper #2 : Contamination levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in recent North American precipitation events. A review takes us right to the topic. The authors provide a very broad summary here. This includes a review of data from rainwater sampling in different parts of the US, information on what types of rain are more likely to carry PFAS, and PFAS in groundwater. If you are near a local source of PFAS, thunderstorms or convective events are much higher than for stratiform (broad low pressure systems) events. Groundwaters in urban areas where PFAS manufacturing or use occurs have much higher PFAS concentrations than urban areas without manufacturing. However, they all have it. Collecting rainwater from roof tops can provide water self-sufficiency but roof top materials can be a source of PFAS. The authors also detail the different drinking water regulations in the US and the EU and describe the role of the Hazard Index (HI) in setting limits. There is also a discussion of half-lives of the different compounds. Us older women and men in general take longer to rid ourselves of PFAS than younger women. The size and shape of the compounds also makes a difference. Below is a table with summaries of different rain sampling studies. The Arizona study likely shows the impact of roofing materials. If you want low PFAS in your rainwater you might consider a move to Massachusetts. Also good for foliage.

 
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Paper #3 It’s raining PFAS in South Florida: Occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wet atmospheric deposition from Miami-Dade, South Florida provides yet another reason to cross Florida off of your list. The authors collected rainwater samples from the Miami Dade region and analyzed them for PFAS. PFAS was found in 95% of the samples. The majority were PFCAs with a much smaller detection frequency for PFSAs (see figure below). Now would be the time to refer back to that handy figure from paper #1. 

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The authors note that longer chain compounds are more prevalent in rainfall during the dryer portion of the year. Likely as a result of being attached to suspended dust that comes down with the rain. Shorter chain particles, typically more water soluble, are found during the wetter portion of the year. Realize that there are no known industrial sources of PFAS in this sampling area. The authors consider airborne dust from Africa as a contributing source. 

Papers #4 Correlation Analysis of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Regional U.S. Precipitation Events and #5 Non-targeted identification and semi-quantitation of emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in US rainwater are from the same group and reference the same group of samples. The authors collected rainwater samples on a transect from Ohio/ Indiana to Wyoming. The first study focused on well known types of PFAS with the second focusing on up and coming versions. The sites followed the pattern of the wind with the WY site located > 5000 km away, serving as an example of an isolated site away from any potential urban sources. Trifluoroacetic acid (TCA) was the big winner in the first study, comprising 90% of the identified PFAS. The authors showed the distribution of PFAS in a number of ways including by general family and by chain length for each location.

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While Wooster, OH was the worst overall, Jackson Hole wasn’t exactly pristine, being statistically similar to many of the other areas sampled. Forget about not eating the yellow snow in Jackson, you better not eat the white stuff either. The distribution of the types of PFAS also varied for some sites, suggesting point sources with their own special blends. 

In the follow up study the authors used a different analytical technique on the same samples. I would open my umbrella for this one. With this different technique they identified several emerging types of PFAS with the C3-C8 hydrogen substituted perfluorocarboxylic acids (H-PFCAs and fluorotelomer carboxylic acids (FTCAs) being the most common. The total concentrations of these newbies was 1-2 orders of magnitude greater than for the more traditional compounds ranging from 10-1000 ng L 1, except for poor Wooster, OH where the sum topped out at 16 400 ng L-1. Here you can see the old and the new side by side.

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Let me just point out that biosolids were not mentioned as the source of the PFAS in any of these articles. Once again, let me remind you that this problem is much bigger than the biosolids. Burning the biosolids won’t stop the rain.
 
Sally Brown is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Washington, and she is also a columnist and editorial board member for BioCycle magazine.  

Do you have information or research to share with MABA members? Looking for other research focus or ideas?

Contact Mary Baker at [email protected] or 845-901-7905.

 

Important Update for MABA Members:
Results from the 2nd National Survey of Biosolids Regulation, Quality, End Use and Disposal in the U.S.

The National Biosolids Data Project (NBDP) has been recently unveiled. You are invited to its comprehensive, user-friendly, data-rich website: http://biosolidsdata.org.  This website provides both a national overview of biosolids generation and utilization/disposal in the target year 2018, but, importantly and most usefully for practitioners in the mid-Atlantic region, the NBDP also includes state summary reports.  Your MABA staff and volunteers are assembling a webpage which will allow quick access to the state reports in our region. 

This NBDP data site was prepared over a two-year period. It was accomplished on a shoe-string budget of about $60,000, with a small EPA grant and some financial contributions from WEF, NACWA and public agencies, and with many hours of volunteer time. The focus  is comprehensive, with details on technologies, particularly the distinction of Class A and Class B levels of pathogen treatment, with categories of utilization outlets and products (compost versus pellets), with capture of landfill and incineration disposal, and with an overview of each state’s regulations. 

A key feature of the project was the survey of water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs), generators of biosolids.  The survey had 452 valid and representative responses from WRRFs in 43 states and DC. This is a set that comprises a flow of about 12,000 MGD, or 34% of total municipal effluent flows in the United States. When generously supplied by public agencies, surveys provided in addition to mass of biosolids and uses, information on pollutant concentrations, program costs and points of view on hurdles and barriers. In a few cases, the surveys of state officials were able to elicit information on septage management.  The EPA biosolids records for 2018 in ECHO (Enforcement and Compliance History Online) was also brought into the analysis. 

Every effort was made to provide comparable data across all states, but this goal was elusive. In the end, the data reports of 32 states were judged of high confidence, 12 were of moderate confidence and 4 of low confidence.  Every state office responsible for biosolids management was afforded an opportunity to review and correct its state’s data and description.  

While this richly compiled database might clearly have commercial value, the results are freely available and are intended to aid in the transparency of biosolids programs to the public. 

Ned Beecher, for 20 years executive director of NEBRA and then special projects coordinator for the early PFAS response,  is the principal investigator for this “second” survey. He was the principal designer of the two surveys (one for state officials and the other for public agencies) and of the database, though with much feedback along the way, Ned had been also the leader of the first survey, which was released fifteen years ago, July 2007, based on biosolids generation and use in 2004, which explains in part the ambitious goals of the current survey. 

Many biosolids practitioners over the years had come to rely on this first survey. It was clear to all who used it recently that the first survey had become dated. Ned took on this herculean project, and now with its completion, we can give hearty kudos to Ned for his vision and persistence. Today you will note from Ned’s email communications that he is now the “former” special project manager for NEBRA and available for hire.  But updates to the second survey, whether to correct or amplify it, or to change it to reflect new developments, will need to be shouldered by others, and we await these folks to emerge and step forward. 

The survey year of 2018 may have the feel of “historical” today. But, at the opening of the project in mid-2020, this was the year most likely to be complete in its data set from federal, state, and municipal sources. The project was intended to be completed by Spring 2021, but whether a victim of pandemic staffing challenges or from competing issues for biosolids practitioners, data collection for this new survey was a slog.  In the mid-Atlantic region, the year 2018 had an atypical influence of large rainfall volumes, and in the Northeast region the discovery of perfluoroalkyl substances disrupted programs. 

Here is the big reveal!  Total biosolids used or disposed of in the U. S. in 2018 was 5,823,000 dry metric tons (dmt). This compares to 6,132,000 dmt reported in the 2004 survey.  This decline in total biosolids was a surprise to the NBDP team. The decline may reflect less double counting than in 2004 of solids hauled from small to larger plants for treatment, or in some locations it may reflect a shift from alkaline stabilization to digestion, the latter technology reducing total dry solids. The 2018 database involved fewer estimations, particularly of biosolids production at small WRRFs. With the estimation in this second survey of the sewered population served, the total national average per capita production of biosolids annually is 37 pounds. That agencies and states show a wide range around this average suggests other aspects at play, perhaps the proportion of combined sewer systems and the acceptance of septage from unsewered areas. 

Here is the second big reveal.  Fifty-three percent of biosolids produced in the United States in 2018 were beneficially used. Within this number are some important findings.  More Class A EQ biosolids are being produced in 2018 than in 2004. Despite policies for organics diversion from municipal waste landfills in some states and regions, the same percentage of biosolids are commingled with municipal waste in 2018 as in 2004.  The percentage of biosolids fed to incinerators has declined, with a fewer number of sewage sludge incinerators in operation.  The survey showed, too, decreased full time equivalent (FTE) employees regulating biosolids at state and federal agencies.  As our industry has asserted in the past, the proportion of our nation's croplands receiving biosolids as a nutrient source is very small, less than 1%.

The Mid Atlantic Biosolids Association participated in the NBDP project. It reviewed electronic record reports to the EPA and state environmental agencies, and also surveyed state officials and larger public agencies.  In the work covering the 7 states and one district in this region, the NBPD documented that the over 1,800 significant POTWs serve 50 million “sewered” customers, producing 1.3 million dry tons of biosolids annually. Sixteen WRRFs in the region produce over 10,000 dmt. NYCDEP is largest agency (~100,000 dmt), and in descending order are Philadelphia Water Department, DC Water, Passaic Valley Water Commission, Middlesex County Utility Authority, Baltimore Department of Public Works, ALCOSAN (Allegheny County, PA), Hampton Roads Sanitation District (VA), City of Rochester (NY), DELCORA, Bergen County Utility Authority (NJ), Suffolk County (NY), Arlington County (VA), Nassau County (NY), and Fairfax County (VA). The average per capita annual biosolids production in the MABA region is 54 dry pounds.

The NBDP state reports include narratives describing notable facilities and programs that serve to treat and use biosolids. In the MABA region report are these distinctive points. Composting is a major treatment technology in the region (e.g., Burlington Co, Rockland Co, Baltimore, A&M Composting, Natural Soils, Spotsylvania (VA) and many small facilities). Two new, large compost facilities under development in reach of Philadelphia.  DELCORA and ALCOSAN are large utilities with sludge Incinerators; others in NY (Rochester), NJ (ACUA) and VA have upgraded to meet new MACT standards.  The US’s principal service companies, Synagro and Denali, have main offices in the MABA region and serve hundreds of agency clients NYC is the sole large facility in the US without a pathway to Class A EQ products. PVSC is the exclusive example of a long-tested Zimpro wet oxidation solids treatment, and this agency accepts solids from dozens of agencies.  Co-digestion with high strength organic waste has great reference facilities in the MABA region (Rahway Valley SA, Lehigh County Authority, and Hermitage, PA). Landis Sewerage Authority in Vineland NJ is arguably the “greenest” WRRF, with zero effluent discharge and wholly onsite biosolids use.

The narrative also sets the stage for understanding how Pennsylvania, producer of significant biosolids, is also a destination for biosolids from other states. The nature of Pennsylvania’s “accommodative” regulation of biosolids, and similarly restrictive rules in New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, ensures that the transport of biosolids regionally and in the direction of Pennsylvania is a significant part of the story of biosolids management regionally. This role is only indirectly revealed in the NBDP. That is because the survey was structured to discuss for each state the mass of biosolids production and the utilization outlets for those state-generated biosolids.  

Though the NBDP is the latest information source available to us biosolids practitioners, in a way it is already outdated. Since the 2018 target year for data collection, pressures on two major categories, landfill disposal and land application, have increased.  Important issue areas of PFAS contamination worries, risks of new regulations of soil phosphorus, and the experience of inadequate seasonal storage have underscored the challenges of maintaining farmland for biosolids applications.  But landfill owners have tightened access by biosolids generators to municipal landfills. This is not only a challenge to Pennsylvania agencies, but more widely to agencies in adjoining states in the mid-Atlantic, which have been reliant on Pennsylvania destinations.  

The other side of this “challenges” coin with biosolids in the MABA region is the opportunities for development of merchant facilities and innovative technologies. These include existing innovative facilities, such as  regional composting (A&M Composting, Burlington Co-Composting and Rockland County Composting), thermal hydrolysis combined with mesophilic digestion (DC Water and HRSD), co-digestion plants (e.g., Hermitage Food Waste to Energy Facility) and drying processes (Synagro in Philadelphia and Baltimore).  Indeed, the MABA region is a landing place for emerging thermal biosolids solutions, such as pyrolysis (BioForceTech), hydrothermal carbonization (SOMAX Bioenergy ), PA and gasification (EarthCare, EcoRemedy and Aries Clean Energy) --  solutions that seem to be particularly urgent in this time of PFAS.

The National Biosolids Data Project demonstrates that the mid-Atlantic region, responsible for nearly a quarter of the nation’s biosolids generation. It is your foundation for understanding future opportunities for biosolids management. Go use it: http://biosolidsdata.org. And, we who helped to assemble the database also will welcome corrections and updates as you find them worthwhile for keeping the information current and accurate, and you can do so by contacting Mary Firestone at  [email protected].

 
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