Western Carolina Biosolids Program
Western Carolina Regional Sewer Authority treats wastewater that is collected from customers and transported through the sewer pipes to their wastewater treatment facilities. Primary treatment of the wastewater separates and removes solids that settle or float before it is moves to secondary treatment. During this part of the process, a mixture of wastewater and microorganisms, known as activated sludge, is separated and treated with chemicals. The clean, disinfected water is discharged into local surface water or land. The nutrient-rich solids that are from the water are then turned into biosolids, which are useful as organic fertilizers for agriculture, forestry, soil improvement, and landscaping and gardening.
The Western Carolina Biosolids Recycling Program is a sound way to put a valuable resource to work for our environment. With state of the art equipment, our wastewater treatment plants reclaim safe organic material from the millions of gallons of wastewater that they clean daily. These nutrient-rich organics, called biosolids, can be beneficially reused as a natural and environmentally sound fertilizer.
All biosolids recycling must meet strict quality standards established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC). These standards are based on long-term studies regarding the safety and effectiveness of biosolids. The US Department of Agriculture and the US Food and Drug Administration also encourage the beneficial use of biosolids.
Used as an agricultural fertilizer, the biosolids produced by Western Carolina enhance crop production by improving soil fertility and organic content. Area farmers collectively save hundreds of thousands of dollars each year by using biosolids instead of processed chemical fertilizers.
Western Carolina’s biosolids program has met or exceeded federal, state, and local environmental standards for recycling of biosolids since the program began in 1989. A SCDHEC certified laboratory monitors all of Western Carolina’s biosolids.
Western Carolina is nationally recognized for its implementation of the Biosolids Program, including two EPA awards, the National and Southeast Region Awards for the Beneficial Use of Biosolids in 1998 and again in 2000. They also received the Water Environment Association of South Carolina’s (WEASC) Biosolids Award in 2000. These awards acknowledged significant contributions in the development and implementation of cost-effective, environmentally safe, and publicly acceptable biosolids use programs.
Western Carolina recycles biosolids from its Durbin Creek, Grove Creek, Piedmont, Gilder Creek, Pelham, Mauldin Road, Lower Reedy, Georges Creek, and Marietta facilities. On an annual basis, 85% of the organics recovered by Western Carolina are recycled back into the local farm economy.
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