- Ed. Note: On March 23, the Yelm city council conducted a public hearing about the proposed biodryer and septage receiving station, the next step in a comprehensive plan to overhaul Yelm’s Water Reclamation Facility. Public Works Director Cody Colt and his colleagues delivered an exceptional presentation that fully addressed public concerns.
- How biodryers work. Biodrying is the process of rapidly heating biodegradable material to reduce moisture and reduce its overall weight. As in composting, biological heat is available through the aerobic degradation of organic matter. In biodrying, that heat is used to evaporate surface and bound water connected to mixed sludge. One advantage of the process is that it doesn’t require supplementary fossil fuels and consumes minimal electricity, making it more environmentally friendly than some other methods.
- What are Class A biosolids? The biodryer’s end products are Class A biosolids, a category of dewatered and heated sewage that meets guidelines for land application. Read more from the City of Yelm.
- The city council was told, “Class A are exceptional quality biosolids available for public use.”
- Mayor Foster said he and the Yelm city council would not do anything to harm the environment here.
From the City of Yelm on Biodryer & Biosolids
“The installation of a Bioforcetech (BFT) biodryer and septage receiving station is the next step in a comprehensive plan to overhaul Yelm’s Water Reclamation Facility and this new technology will help us advance our commitment to sustainability. In the initial phases, the Public Works Department replaced the Reclaimed Water Pump Station and updated the SCADA computer system to enhance the system’s reliability. The biodryer will create the capacity for the city to manage its own septage, eliminating the need to transport waste-activated sludge to a facility in Shelton where it is turned into biochar at an annual cost of approximately $300,000. With the biodryer, we will process the waste activated sludge into a fertilizer to be used on all of our parks, Yelm Community Schools fields and eventually will become available to the public for use on their yards or gardens.” Read more
‘Preserve the Commons’ on Yelm’s Proposed Biodryer Installation
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