New technology coming to Wastewater Treatment Plant will kill stench at landfill

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The city’s Wastewater Cure Plant is one move nearer to a $40 million update, a person that really should convey to an finish the seasonal stench coming from the landfill in Woodlawn.

The job will get $15 million in funding from the American Rescue Strategy Act.

“This grant funding will allow for for vital infrastructure upgrades that will profit people and companies in the course of the group,” state Sen. Monthly bill Powers explained in announcing the grant.

The large venture: Thermal dryers

The grant will assistance pay back for a new 6-story developing containing thermal dryers that will be built on the existing wastewater plant web page, according to Mark Riggins, typical supervisor for Clarksville Fuel & Water.

Thermal dryers dry out the leftover sludge – a byproduct of the h2o remedy plant’s purification procedure – building it less complicated to properly dispose of in means moreover just dumping it in the landfill, Riggins explained.

Rhonda Fulton, promoting coordinator for Fuel & Drinking water, explained the thermal dryer course of action.

“Dewatered wastewater sludge is tumbled in a rotary drum with an added warmth resource to dry the sludge even further to produce a Course A biosolid. It will then get pelletized to generate a products that is easier to deal with,” she said.

Soon after the sludge is taken off for processing, the purified liquid is emptied into the Cumberland River, and that has been the observe from the starting. For those involved about the health and fitness of the river, Riggins said the purified wastewater is cleaner than ingesting drinking water.

The leftover sludge has been despatched to the Bi-County Landfill. “The solids by themselves, they are taken care of, and there (are) diverse techniques that you can handle these and then dispose of these,” Riggins mentioned.

Injury from the flood

Prior to the 2010 flood, crews at the Wastewater Treatment Plant processed the sludge to a course that they could be utilized to land. “And people use that as fertilizer,” Riggins stated. “We hauled it out there to a farm, or one thing like that, that they needed, and then we had a … manure spreader that folks could load into that and then unfold onto their farms.”

According to epa.gov, the end products of wastewater procedure plants is typically a Class A humus-like substance without the need of a detectable stages of pathogens that can be utilized as a soil conditioner and fertilizer to gardens, meals and feed crops.

But Riggins reported the flood triggered significant destruction to the wastewater plant, and going again to the method of generating fertilizer was heading to be expensive. “That sludge … it’s (known as) biosolids, suitable now it is taken to landfill and disposed of.

“Now, back again then when that final decision was manufactured, the landfill was prepared and content to take that,” he said.

But around the final quite a few a long time, the odor has develop into a issue. “There (are) a large amount of issues (from nearby neighbors) about the odor at the landfill,” Riggins stated.

Mark Neblett, government director for the Bi-County Good Waste Administration Process, reported they get about five hundreds of sludge a day, and it smells pretty poor.

“The 0ther problem is, it is challenging to blend with the other waste to get compaction,” Neblett explained, noting that if there is way too much sludge blended in with the frequent refuse, it produces a form of quicksand, triggering major gear to get trapped.

Extended-term alternative

When looking for a remedy, Riggins stated a expert advised Gasoline & Water haul the sludge to a distinctive landfill, at a expense of $15 million.

“I just felt like that was a squander of ratepayers’ revenue,” he said. “If I am likely to shell out $15 million, I want this to be one thing that is likely to do the job for this plant for eternity.”

Riggins said that with the new thermal dryers, the output will be minimized by up to 70{18fa003f91e59da06650ea58ab756635467abbb80a253ef708fe12b10efb8add}, and the system will permit the sludge to be as soon as once again be classed to use as fertilizer for farmers.

“We are grateful to the State of Tennessee Division of Natural environment and Conservation for their acceptance of our grant application,” Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts explained. “The funding will aid fix a extensive-standing concern at our wastewater treatment plant. Credit score to Mark Riggins and our staff spouse and children at CGW for their perform in securing these money.”

The up coming move is for the job to go out to bid, and the job need to be comprehensive in about two several years, Riggins said.