WEF P230001 PDF

Intended for use by professionals engaged in the design, approval, and operation of solids treatment and disposal systems, this update addresses many of the changes that have occurred over the past decade, incorporating material published as recently as 2022. Wastewater continues to require increasing levels of treatment, especially as we begin to consider our facilities as water resource recovery facilities. This will yield more solids that, at the least, need to be managed in an efficient and effective manner to protect human health and the environment. Preferably, we can treat these solids as resources, recovering biogas from the digestion process and phosphorus from the biosolids.

It is highly recommended that design standard setting organizations embrace the changes incorporated in this design publication. Recommendations in this publication represent best practices that go well beyond the minimum design requirements necessary to comply with requirements of U.S. EPA’s Standards for the Use or Disposal of Sewage Sludge (40 CFR Part 503). This is increasingly important for biosolids management to remain viable and environmentally sustainable in the future.

This publication’s 24 chapters include contemporary new material on planning, public outreach and involvement, solids production and characterization, design approach, conveyance, conditioning, thickening, waste minimization, anaerobic and aerobic digestion, dewatering, composting, alkaline treatment, disinfection and stabilization, thermal drying, incineration, pyrolysis and gasification, transport and storage, odor management, sidestreams, automation, land application, land disposal, emerging technologies, and biogas.