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Land Farming of Biosolids from a
Secondary WastewaterTreatment Plant
Ceferino Aponte, M.Ch.E.; P.E.
E-101 Environmental Management I
Harvard University Extension SchoolBoston, Massachusetts
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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant
Land farming of Biosolids from
The Barceloneta Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant
Industry Government Partnership
The Challenges
Limited Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure
Fast Industrial Development
The Results Ecologically and Cost effective Alternative for
biosolids reuse
Potential for Application in other areas
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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant
Figure 1. Puerto Rico Satellite Photohttp://earth.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/efs/lores.pl?PHOTO=STS034-76-88
Photo taken one month after passage of Hurricane Hugo.
The sediment plumes along the coast are from freshwater runoff.
BRWTP and
Land Farm
San JuanCao Tiburones
Alluvial Mineral Soil Plains
Limestone hills
La Cordillera Central
Central Mountain Range
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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant
Options
Landfilling
Incineration Ocean dumping
Land farming
Biosolids DisposalThe Barceloneta Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant
Path Forward
Initially Landfilling Phase I Pilot Land Farm Project 1982 - 1987
Phase II Full Scale Land Farming 1987 - Present
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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant
Figure 2. Land Farming Plot Plan (8)
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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant
Figure 3. Terragator
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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant
Total Biosolids Produced
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Year
DMT
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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant
Hay Sales
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100$120
$140
$160
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Year
Sales($000)
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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant
Injection days vs Rain
20
30
40
50
60
7080
90
100
110
150 160 170 180 190 200
Injection days
TotalRain(inc
hes)
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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant
1. Land farming is a very attractive option forbiosolids disposal as long as:
A strong pretreatment program is in place
Stakeholders are willing to cooperate ($$)
2. There is good potential lo extend the experience
to use treated effluent for irrigation and
groundwater recharge, particularly on the south
coast of Puerto Rico.
Biosolids DisposalThe Barceloneta Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant
Lessons Learned
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Land Farming of Biosolids from a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant
Figure 4. Puerto Rico in Relief and Shadehttp://pr.water.usgs.gov/public/gis.html
San Juan
ManatBarceloneta AreaCao Tiburones
Alluvial Mineral Soil Plains
Limestone hills
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