A Rich, Organic Fertilize~ and Soil Conditioner for Madison Area Farmers

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Clinton Fleming
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1 A Rich, Organic Fertilize~ and Soil Conditioner for Madison Area Farmers

$Metrogro is a Valuable Natural Resource / \ The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD)is committed to conserving and reusing our natural resources.$

2 Metrogro is a Valuable Natural Resource / \ The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD)is committed to conserving and reusing our natural resources. One example of this commitment is the District's Metrogro Program. which recycles nutrient rich biosolids to area farmland as a fertilizer and soil conditioner. Metrogro is a rich. 'organic fertilizer and soil conditioner produced during the treatment of wastewater. Metrogro is recycled to farmland allowing us to make use of an important resource. Metrogro contains nitrogen. phosphorus. potassium and other nutrients that are essential for plant growth. ' MMSD provides wastewater treatment to villages, towns and cities surrounding the Madison area lakes. Septage from homes throughout Dane County is also transported to the Nine Springs Wastewater Treatment Facility for additional treatment. At the facility. wastewater undergoes a complex treatment process that p[oduces two end products: clean, highly treated effluent and biosolids. MMSD is a leader in the recycling/reuse movement with over 99% of all material being beneficially r~used following treatment. Treated effluent is recycled to a receivingstream which supports a diverse population of fish and other aquatic life. Biosolids (Metrogro-a nutrient rich material) are recycled to agricultural land a s a fertilizer and soil conditioner through the District's Metrogro Program. - The District has' been recycling biosolids through its Metrogro Program for over 20 years., Particip'.lting fanners have been able to improve soil tilth and ' reduce the potential for erosion by returning valuable organic matter to the soil. They have also reduced their reliance on commercial fertilizers while maintaining or improving crop yields.

Metrogro is Safe and Environmentally Sound "In fact, in all the years that properly treated biosolids have been applied to the land, we have been unable to find one case of illness or disease that

3 Metrogro is Safe and Environmentally Sound "In fact, in all the years that properly treated biosolids have been applied to the land, we have been unable to find one case of illness or disease that resulted." -Martha Prothro Former Deputy Assistant Administrat or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established strict standards toensure that Metrogro and other biosolid products are recycled in a manner that' protects human health and preserves environmental quality. These standards are based on decades of research conducted by universities (including the University of Wisconsin). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). and other organizations. Both the USDAand FDA' encourage the beneficial reuse of biosolids. Safety begins with 9,uality control. Pretreatment regulations requ ire that certain industries treat or remove contaminants from their wastestream before it is discharged to the MMSD treatment facility for additional treatment. These -, industries are closely monitored to ensure compliance With pretreatment requirements.. Pretreatnient combined with regular testing and rnonitortngduring the wastewater treatment process results in a product. Metrogro, that meets the criteria for a "high-quality" biosolids product established by EPA. Safety continue~ with a carefu l evaluat~on and selection of potential landspreading sites. -Biosolids can only be recycled to sites that have been inspected and approved for use by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR): Setback distances froj? homes. wells or environmentally sensitive areas are maintained at all recycling sites to provide an additional level of safety. Metrogro is recycled at a rate that ' meets the nitrogen requirement of the crop grown. The nitrogen requ irement is ~ased on soil samples that are collected Nine Springs Wastewater Treatment PrOcess The District's Nine Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant provides advanced wastewater treatment which produces three valuable resources.. Methane gas is produced during anaerobic digestion and is used for the plant's internal energy needs. Metrogro, a rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner, is recycted to farmland. Highly treated effluent is recycted to a receiving system that supports a I div~rse aquatic community. INFLUENT 4OmiIion gajionsol wastewater per day GRIT FACIUTY Removes heavy ""'9"nc malerial ~ SLUDGE THICKENERS Excess waler is removedfrom the sludge METHANE GAS PRODUCTION. Gas used as an eoergysourcell'l the treatment plant 1 DISINFECTION CHAMBER Treatedwateris disinfectedprior to recycling- -e-e~e,~- PRIMARY SETTUNG Separates heavy solids fromthe wastewater ANAEROBIC DIG<'STERS Melrogro produetion 20 daysat 90F METRQGRO STORAGE SurplusActivated Sludge AERATION MiCrOorganisms consume organic malerial in thewast~ FINAL SETIUNG Microorganisms and undigested solids separated from the treated water METROGRO RECYCLED TO FARMLAND ~ I---" f------, ' I /. <l'1. Act."""SI""", I, F""" 10..",lion ---:-11- _ --_ RE~r~rTO BADFISH CREEK lanks 1

4 from each application site and analyzed at the University of Wisconsin Soils and' Plant Analysis Laboratory. Metrogro application rates are adjusted to account for other nitrogen sources that farme rs may use on the fields, such as manure~ or commerc ial fertilizer. All Metrogro is app lied using subs urface injection techniques which deliver th e material about eight inches beneath the soil surface. By following these sim ple management practices, Metrogro is recycled in a man ner that protects our grou ndwater and-surface water resources. Our Monitoring and Reco~keeping Services Comprehensive monitoring and recordkeeping systems are essential components of the MMSD Metrogro Program. \ ( They ensu~e compliance with environmental and health standards while provi~i ng both regulatory and public confl-, dence in the Metrogro Program. In many cases, the MMSD monitoring efforts go well beyond the curre nt regulatory requirements.. Biosolids quality is determ ined bot h before and during recycling operations. WDNRand EPA specify both the parameter-s to be analyzed and th e frequency of analysis. Information on biosolids quality is used to determine nutrient and metal application rates at each site where Metrogro is applied. Information on biosolids quality and metal application rates is provided on an animal basis to WDNR, EPA and participating farme rs. Groundwater sa mples ar e collected on Metrogro is delivered to tneneta opplicotion site (left) where it is transf~rred into a nurse tank (center). Metrogro is then removed from the nurse tank by an application vehicle (right) anstinjected 8-'0 inches beneath the soil surface. an annual basis from representative private wells located on or adjacent to Metrogro a pplication sites. Over 780 private wells are currently sampled. Resul ts are sent to the well owners along with additiona l supporting informa tion. "Biosolids recycling allows us to manage a valuable natural" resource in a safe and environmentally sound manner." I -Dr. Art Peterson Professor of SoilScience University of Wisconsin-Madison Routine soil samples are collected at all application sites and are used to determine fertilizer requirements. In addition, deep soil core sa mples and plant tissue samples are collected from representativ~ ~etrogro soil types at sites receiving applications. These sa mples have further demonstrat ed tha t Metrogro / Private wells located near MetrOgro application sites are sampled on an annual basis reflecting the District's commitment to environmental monitoring. is being recycled in a safe and environmentally sound manner. Each field that receives Metrogro has b~en assigned a unique Identification number by WDNR. All app lication information is tracked to this identification number allowing for an accurate site. htstory to be main tained at all times.

Putting This Valuable ResourCe to Work :for All of Us ~ P ro pe r nutrient management relates directly to the health and quality of our I ~kes and streams.".

5 Putting This Valuable ResourCe to Work :for All of Us ~ P ro pe r nutrient management relates directly to the health and quality of our I ~kes and streams.". -Pamela Porter ' Executive Director,Wisconsin Environmental Decade Essential Plant Nutrients _Supplied by Metrogro Pound Constituent ~ HUMUS (Organic Matter) 2400 PRIMARy_NUTRIENTS Available Nitrogen as N 140 Phosphorus as P 140 Potassium as K 30 SELECTED MICRO NUTRIENTS Boron as B (hot water solubl e) 1.0 Copper as Cu 2.6 Manganese as Mn 0.7 Zinc as Zn. 4.7 The District's new storage facilitial/ows Metrogro to be stored during the winter and other times. when field condit ions do not al/aw for direct application. When field conditions are suitable, Metrogro is removed from the tanks and transported to field application sites. Recycling is part of our da ily lives. Everyone knows that.recycling benefits the environment. Communities in Wisconsin have joined together to conse_rve our natural resources by recycling everything from glass and plastics to paper and metal. The' Madison Metropolit~n Sewerage. District has been an active participan t in <, the recycling movement thro ugh the Metrogro Progra m..i n -fact. MMSD has received national recognition from the EPA for its recycling efforts. All benefit from a practice that replenishes the so i~ with valuable organic matter, reduces soil erosion, reduces reliance on commercial fertilizer an d protects grou ndwater an d surface water quality. Metrogro: Conserves/recycles resources Improves crop yields Benefits the environment Is safe an d effective. To learn more about the Metrogro Program contact: Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District 1610 Moorland Road Madison, WI (608) To learn more about-biosolids recyclmg in other communities contact: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources PO Box 7921 Madison, WI (608) Based on a Metrogro application rdie of gal Ions per acre containing 5. 7 percent solids. This is equivalent to approximately 2.4 tons of dry solids per 'acre. Metrogro contains many nutrients that are lmportant'tor crop growth.-

Appleton Wastewater Treatment Plant Biosolids Management Program

CITY OF APPLETON Appleton Wastewater Treatment AWWTP Biosolids Program Objectives The City of Appleton, Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWWTP) produces approximately 20,000 wet tons of biosolids per year.