Biosolids - Background
The HRM Biosolids Program is not new. Regional Council approved a
$12-million biosolids facility in 2004 as part of the Harbour Solutions Project, a comprehensive waste management system that would end the practice of large volumes of human waste entering Halifax Harbour.
The N-Viro biosolids soil amendment meets or exceeds all regulatory requirements for fertilizer. Lab results are posted online at www.n-viro.ca.
The HRM Biosolids Program meets two key principles:
- HRM manages the waste it creates; and
- Biosolids is a beneficial-use product, and not land-filled.
Advanced primary sewage treatment removes up to 70 per cent of the particulate material in the sewage. That material is primarily organic material with high nutrient content.
HRM has decided that, rather than landfill (landfilling is not permitted by province regulation) or incinerate this material, it should be used for some beneficial purpose, as the municipality does for other waste streams such as municipal recyclable waste and organic green cart collections.
HRM has obtained approval under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act to process the biosolids into a soil amendment / fertilizer product, using a lime stabilisation process. The construction and operation of the Biosolids Processing Facility has approval through Nova Scotia’s Department of Environment. The final product must meet USEPA Class A standards for biosolids products, and also meet Canadian Food Inspection Agency requirements under the Canadian Fertilizer Act, for labelling as a fertilizer product for sale in Canada.
A facility to manufacture this biosolids product was built at Aerotech Park near the existing Aerotech Sewage Treatment Plant, now owned and operated by Halifax Water. The process and product storage areas are entirely enclosed within the building, and full odour control is provided. The product is marketed for appropriate uses under all applicable federal and provincial regulations.
The N-Viro process is in use in Niagara Region, Sarnia, and Leamington in Ontario as well as in Summerside, PEI. The product meets all regulations, labeled by CFIA, and regularly meets
meets the provincial Class A standard. Link here to a detailed presentation on N-Viro's soil management program.
Provincial standards are cited as the most stringent in Canada. A copy can be found at: http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/docs/BiosolidGuidelines.pdf.
Frequently Asked Questions about Biosolids
Plant Schematic - N-Viro
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