Bay Area Clean Water Agencies

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WARNING! Sewage sludge is toxic. Food should not be grown in "biosolids." Join the Food Rights Network.

Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA) is an organization of local government agencies that manage water treatment for water discharged in San Francisco Bay.[1]

Bay Area Disposal of Sewage Sludge

Disposal of Sewage Sludge

A 2009 document from BACWA[2] estimated that the entire Bay Area produced 158,000 dry metric tons of sewage sludge annually, a number that would swell to 189,000 dry metric tons by 2010. This document breaks down the disposal of the Bay Area's 2007 sewage sludge as follows:

  • 52% is used as Alternate Daily Cover in landfills
  • 19% is applied to land as fertilizer
  • 14% is incinerated
  • 10% is disposed of in landfills
  • 1% goes to "dedicated land disposal"
  • 1% goes to long term storage
  • 4% is disposed of via other means

Broken out by destination county, Bay Area 2007 sludge disposal is as follows:

  • 35% Santa Clara
  • 20% Solano
  • 12% Alameda
  • 8% Sonoma
  • 7% Sacramento
  • 7% Contra Costa
  • 7% Merced
  • 3% Marin
  • 1% San Joaquin
  • <1% San Mateo

The document notes that a survey of landfills within 200 miles finds insufficient capacity to dispose of all of the Bay Area's sludge as "Alternate Daily Cover." Also, as of the document's publication in 2009, 21 of California's 58 counties restrict land application of Class B Biosolids. The document identifies as a strategy mounting PR efforts to convince the public of the safety of sewage sludge:

"Overarching each of the challenges just listed are the public's perceptions about biosolids. These perceptions impact to some degree all of the biosolids management options the Bay Area currently relies upon. Increasing the public's awareness of and knowledge about biosolids management issues in the Bay Area is one of the most important tasks confronting biosolids management. Without informed public discussion, the region is unlikely to implement optimal management policies. Policies aimed at placating negative public perceptions about biosolids are a more likely outcome."

The document cites the "California Integrated Waste Management Act" (AB 939) of 1989, a bill passed by the state government requiring that 50% of sewage sludge is diverted from landfills by the year 2000. Of the possible options for sludge disposal outside of landfills, it claims that "Class B land application was the most environmentally sound option for biosolids management." In other words, applying sewage sludge to land where crops designated for animal feed are grown as fertilizer is their preferred method of disposing of sludge. Another option they cite is producing commercial fertilizer and compost products using sewage sludge:

"Other options for sustainable reuse of biosolids involve transforming biosolids into one or more marketable commodities. Examples include bulk and packaged compost, pelletized fertilizer, and inputs into the production of cement, bricks and glass. Bay Area wastewater agencies already convert some biosolids into Class A compost and several agencies are upgrading their treatment facilities to increase production of Class A biosolids."

The document goes on to mention how the state of California could assist them in disposing of sludge using their preferred methods. They recommend the following:

  • Creation of private sector grants and tax credits "for the creation of new technologies supporting alternative applications of biosolids"
  • Financial incentives provided to the composting industry for increasing use of sewage sludge in compost products. Such incentives include low interest loans and tax credits. They also recommend increasing tipping fees at landfills and earmarking the money raised for the expansion of composting.
  • Eliminating barriers and creating incentives for wastewater facilities to "invest in B2E technologies." This refers to the use of sewage sludge for energy.

The use of sludge to create energy is a popular idea in the Bay Area, as it is the subject of the Bay Area Biosolids to Energy Project[3]

BACWA Board and Members

Executive Director: Amy J. Chastain

The Executive Board as of July 2010:[4]

The five organizations with membership on the board constitute BACWA's "principle members." Associate members are as follows:[5]

Additionally, Affiliate Members are as follows:[6]

Contact Information

  • Bay Area Clean Water Agencies
  • PO Box 24055, MS702
  • Oakland, CA 94623
  • Phone: (415) 308-5172
  • Web: http://www.bacwa.org

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

References

  1. ↑ California Water Environment Association website
  2. ↑ "Bay Area Biosolids Management"
  3. ↑ Bay Area Biosolids to Energy
  4. ↑ BACWA Executive Board Members
  5. ↑ BACWA Associate Members
  6. ↑ BACWA Affiliate Members

External resources

External articles

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