Sep 24, 2019

Water district waste processed into ‘biofertilizer’

Lystek International recently reached an agreement with the Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District (VFWD) to manage a portion of its annual production of biosolids.

Under the terms of the agreement, Lystek will accept undigested biosolids from the VFWD at its state-of-the-art, organic material recovery center, and convert them into LysteGro, a biofertilizer product, according to a press release from the company.

Lystek independently entered into a unique, P3 style partnership with the Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District to develop the Lystek organic material recovery center. This facility opened in August 2016, and since then has received and processed over 100,000 tons of biosolids. The center utilizes its patented and proven, low-pressure thermal hydrolysis process to convert biosolids and other organic materials into the LysteGro product.

Within its first year of operations, the product was also licensed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) for use as a bulk fertilizer and accepted as an agricultural product by the Solano County Department of Agriculture. LysteGro is valued by growers as an affordable, nutrient-rich product that is also high in vital, organic matter for sustaining and building soil health.

Historically the District has transported its biosolids to Tubbs Island and where it is applied, once a year as fertilizer for silage crops grown for animal feed.

“This agreement provides the District with a reliable and proven contingency plan, in cases where Tubbs Island may be unavailable for management of our biosolids,” Jennifer Harrington, director of environmental services for the district, said in the press release.

For Lystek, the agreement contributes to the growth and success of the organic material recovery center as it continues to scale toward maximum, operational capacity, adding to volume commitments it has previously secured from a growing list of Bay Area agencies, including San Francisco, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and more. The center is rapidly expanding and demonstrating Lystek’s ability to divert hundreds of thousands of tons of biosolids from landfills annually, in favor of higher and better uses.

“We appreciate the opportunity to service the Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District. This agreement further validates our role as a preferred provider of practical and reliable biosolids management solutions for agencies in and around the San Francisco Bay area,” said Jim Dunbar, General Manager of the Fairfield, California based OMRC.

Photo: Lystek