City and County of HonoluluWastewater Information Meeting

August 1, 2011, 7 p.m., Mission Memorial Auditorium

Agenda

• Welcome• CCH Wastewater Video• ENV Director Tim Steinberger• Synagro CEO/President Bill Massa• DOH Acting Chief Sina Pruder, WWB• Aug. 3 City Council - Public Works

CCH Wastewater Video

Opening Statements• Building the Sand Island WWTP sludge treatment

had three objectives.

1) Replace old system2) Recycle/Sustainable3) Reduce burden on WGSL

• From the inception, the City anticipated the need for a second sludge digester to accommodate population growth and improve WW treatment.

• The sludge digester makes wastewater solids ready for reuse as fertilizer.

Opening Statements

• Second digester and interim treatment project was eliminated from the budget.

• We may have to truck sludge and need to be ready in case it’s necessary.

• What we’re planning to do now is begin a feasibility study.

• We will conduct an Environmental Assessment to make sure we are fully prepared.

Sand Island WWTP Solids Handling

• Online circa 1976• Ocean outfall 1.7 miles, 240 ft. deep• 1981, low pressure oxidation system

online• 2004 City discontinues LPO and brought

online anaerobic digestion, centrifuge, pellet reuse (Granulite)

• In-vessel bioconversion

Solids HandlingDisinfection and Disposal

Methane to flare

Current

Normal

Normal

Current

Normal

Current

GT WSST

Normal

Current

HDWKHDWK ClarifierClarifier GTGT WSSTWSST AnaerobicAnaerobicDigestionDigestion CentrifugeCentrifuge

Sand Island

HDWKHDWK ClarifierClarifier GTGT WSSTWSST AnaerobicAnaerobicDigestionDigestion CentrifugeCentrifuge

Honouliuli

DryerDryer

Pellets

LF

Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Service Area

• Salt Lake to Kuliouou• Koolaus to the ocean• Largest treatment plant in the state• Treats 60% of the island’s wastewater

How we got here?

MoreSludge

CleanerWater

Federal and State Regulations

Response to System FailuresFailure Modes

• Total Failure• Partial Failure

–Non-compliance with regulations, permits, GCD

• Preventive Measures–Minimizing Risks

The Contingency Plans

1. Remove-Truck wastewater sludge from the Sand Island WWTP and to other suitably equipped WWTPs, including Honouliuli, Waianae and Kailua.

2. Place a moratorium on new metropolitan area building permits that require sewer connection to the Sand Island WWTP. Only permits not yet issued would be affected.

Trucking the Sludge

Only 3 treatment plants with the facilities to handle the job

Waianae Kailua Honouliuli

Recovering from trucking of flood waters from Waimanalo Gulch Landfill

In the middle of CIP improvement projects that need to be completed before it is suitable

Things we don’t know

• How much can we truck to each of the other treatment plants before we create a potential problem there?

• Can we realistically accomplish the transfer with the equipment we have?

• What odor problems will be created and how can they be resolved?

Start date: August 2011Number of trucks: No more than 1 tanker per dayDestination: Honouliuli WWTPTrucking period: No more than 30 daysMonitoring: Initial hauling will be evaluated

Further study options include: hauling to Honouliuli WWTP to address any issues that arose in the initial testing or to initiate similar tests with Kailua Regional WWTP and Waianae WWTP to evaluate the ability to treat the hauled sludge.

Feasibility Study

Environmental Assessment

Bill MassaPresident & CEO

Synagro HeadquartersHouston, TX

Sina PruderState Department of Health

Acting Chief Wastewater Branch

Department of Heath

Environmental Management Division

Wastewater Branch

What are Biosolids?

What are Biosolids?

They are nutrient-rich organic materials resultingfrom the treatment of domestic sewage in a treatment facility. When treated and processed, these residuals can be recycled and applied as fertilizer to improve and maintain productivesoils and stimulate plant growth.

What is the difference between biosolidsand sludge?

Biosolids are treated sewage sludge. Biosolids are carefully treated and monitoredand must be used in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Class A and Class B Biosolids

To ensure that biosolids applied to the land do not threaten public health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the 40 CFR Part 503 Rule (effective on March 1993). It categorizes biosolids as Class A or B, depending on the level of pathogens in the material, and describes specific processes to reduce pathogens to these levels. The rule also requires “vector attraction reduction” (VAR) –reducing the potential for spreading of infectious disease agents by vectors (i.e., flies, rodents and birds).

Class A Biosolids

• Class A biosolids contain minute levels of pathogens. To achieve Class A certification, biosolids must undergo heating, composting, digestion or increased pH that reduces pathogens to below detectable levels. Some treatment processes change the composition of the biosolids to a pellet or granular substance, which can be used as a commercial fertilizer.

• The biosolids must also meet stringent pollutant ceiling concentration limits for 10 metals. Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Mercury, Molybdenum, Nickel, Selenium and Zinc.

• It must also meet a vector attraction method specified by 503.

• Once these goals are achieved, Class A biosolids can be land applied without any pathogen-related restrictions at the site. Class A biosolids can be bagged and marketed to the public for application to lawns and gardens.

The term “exceptional quality” (EQ) is a category that was developed by EPA to characterize biosolids that may be used inbeneficial use programs without a lot of regulatory oversight. “Exceptional quality” is an EPA term to define biosolids thatmeet the highest level of quality in three categories: 1. Reduction of pathogens; 2. Reduction of vector attraction (odor); and 3. Low concentrations of specific metals.

EQ biosolids have relatively few restrictions for use. They can, infact, be used in home gardens.

The Synagro plant produces Exceptional Quality Biosolids.

The Synagro In-Vessel Bioconversion Facility and the City and County of Honolulu has an Individual Permit with DOHfor the treatment of Sand Island WWTP sludge to EQ Biosolids.

Synagro submits monthly pathogen, metals, and totalsolids data for their pellets for our review and approval before release to the public.

Synagro has met the specific 503 pathogen, metals andvector attraction requirements since 2006 for EQ biosolids.

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Synagro’s Annual Pellet Distribution Figures

200854% distributed for reuse46% landfilled

200937% distributed for reuse63% landfilled

201082% distributed for reuse17% landfilled

2011Projected to be on mark with 2010 figures.

Class B Biosolids

Class B biosolids have less stringent standards for the treatment and contain detectible levels of pathogens. Class B requirements ensure that pathogens in biosolidshave been reduced to levels that protect public health and the environment and include certain restrictions for crop harvesting, grazing animals and public contact for all formsof Class B biosolids.

Are biosolids safe?

The National Academy of Sciences has reviewed current practices, publichealth concerns and regulator standards, and has concluded that "the use

of these materials in the production of crops for human consumption whenpracticed in accordance with existing federal guidelines and regulations, presents negligible risk to the consumer, to crop production and to the environment."

Note: To date, there has been no reported cases of food contamination outbreaks or illnesses associated with theuse of biosolids produced by Synagro and Maui Eko.

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Do biosolids smell?

Biosolids may have their own distinctive odor depending on the type of treatment it has been through. Some biosolids may have only a slight musty, ammonia odor. Others have a stronger odor that maybe offensive to some people. Much of the odor is caused by compounds containing sulfur and ammonia,both of which are plant nutrients

What are the benefits of recycling biosolids?

Recycling biosolids is good for the environment.Organic matter and nutrients have been recycled for centuries to improve soil fertility and productivity. When properly applied and managed, biosolids can provide essential plant nutrients, improve soil structure, add organic matter, enhance moisture retention, and reduce soilerosion.

The Department of Health supports and promotes reusefor both Biosolids and Water Reclamation.

For biosolids, whatever can be reused saves our valuablelandfill space. Recycled water is wastewater that has been treated to a level suitable for industrial processing, irrigationand other non-drinking uses. Recycled water is available year round, even in times of drought. It is good for the environment and it costs less than other new water sources.

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What’s next?

• Start $1.55 million for planning, permitting and designing

• Resubmit project in FY13 budget• Conduct Feasibility Study for hauling sludge

to WWTPs• Proceed with EA• Address Council Resolution 11-182

City Council BriefingAugust 3, 2011, 1:00 pm

Honolulu Hale

Written and/or oral comments accepted