Biosolids Alternative Plan Gets Greenlight From City
Published on February 07, 2025
The City of Kalamazoo currently spends over $13.5 million per year for biosolids disposal. A contract with an outside civil engineering firm to study alternatives to manage and remove biosolids may in the long run save the City millions.
At the Monday, February 3 Kalamazoo City Commission Business Meeting, Commissioners approved a $12.3 million agreement with Jones & Henry Engineers of Kalamazoo to finalize the design of a long-term biosolids management strategy for Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant (KWRP). The City of Kalamazoo has worked with J&H through three phases: Phase 1 involved reviewing industry-wide technology submittals, evaluating technical aspects, and presenting the information to a broad group of wastewater stakeholders; Phase 2 involved selecting a single technology to steer the City’s path towards future sustainable biosolids management. The final phase includes a preliminary design that would involve a proposed paired heat drying and thermal oxidation process added at the end of the current biosolids dewatering process at KWRP.
“We look forward to having J&H’s expertise in developing these designs that will help us implement the technology to effectively and efficiently remove solid waste from KWRP,” said James J. Baker, public services director, and city engineer for the City of Kalamazoo. “Doing so will save us and the City’s taxpayers millions of dollars over the next several years.”
The Kalamazoo Wastewater Reclamation Plant is Michigan’s only powdered activated carbon treatment plant and its sewer system totals approximately 893 miles. The facility in its simplest function has a wet stream process that discharges to the nearby Kalamazoo River and handles more than 220 wet tons of biosolids per day. Those tons of wastewater sludge from KWRP must be hauled and transported by truck from the facility to landfills daily for final disposal.
It is a very expensive process. Complicating the matter is the fact that landfill capacity is at a premium in Michigan; specific capacity within any landfill to accept residual biosolids requires complex logistical planning. Under a new system of dryer plus thermal oxidation, removing biosolids could cost as much as $150 million. Yet in the long run, the process would pay for itself, according to Baker.
“This is the future of solids handling at KWRP,” said Baker. “We owe it to community stakeholders – and to the taxpayers in particular – to proceed with this new system. It not only will streamline our biosolids operations but will enhance the overall air quality and environment in our community and beyond.”