Biosolids Program: Beneficial Reuse of Biosolids by Land Application
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The City of Fort Worth produces high quality biosolids, resulting from an aggressive pre-treatment program and efficient wastewater treatment processes at the Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility.
Village Creek produces approximately 40,000 dry tons of biosolids each year from the wastewater treatment system processes. As a result, the City of Fort Worth and its biosolids contractor continue to provide the citizens of Fort Worth, 22 Customer Cites, landowners, farmers, adjacent landowners, and the general public with a highly processed, stabilized, Class A, Exceptional Quality (EQ) biosolids product.
100% of the Class A, Exceptional Quality (EQ) biosolids are beneficially reused/recycled, by land application on thousands of acres of farm and ranch lands in the North Texas Area.
The City of Fort Worth Biosolids Program is also recognized nationally, as an Environmental Management System (EMS) “certified” agency, (1st agency in Texas and 7th agency in the U.S.) by establishing and implementing an EMS which practices and continually improves biosolids best management practices.
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Biosolids Processing and Dewatering
One hundred percent (100%) of the biosolids that Village Creek Reclaimation Facility produces are anaerobically digested, dewatered by belt filter press to produce a cake product that is 25% to 28% solids, and post-lime stabilized after dewatering to produce Class A, Exceptional Quality (EQ) biosolids. This is the highest biosolid quality recognized by the EPA. 
Beneficial Reuse By Land Application
Since 1995, the City continues to maintain its one hundred percent (100%) Biosolids Beneficial Reuse/Recycling Program. All biosolids produced at Village Creek Reclaimation Facility are processed, monitored, and agronomically land applied to thousands of acres of farmland and pasture land in Tarrant and surrounding counties in the North Texas area. The biosolids provide excellent soil fertilization and nutrient value to crops and grasses.
The Fort Worth Biosolids Beneficial Reuse/Recycling Program continues to grow and expand and is positively accepted by the general public and adjacent landowners around the application sites. New sites are added to the biosolids program every year. The Fort Worth Biosolids Program continues to have a 60 day “back-log” list of landowners who desire biosolids fertilization.
The map and the table below show the landowner participation by county in the Fort Worth Biosolids Beneficial Reuse/Recycling Program.
FORT WORTH BIOSOLIDS BENEFICIAL REUSE / RECYCLING PROGRAM
LAND OWNER PARTICIPATION LOCATION BY COUNTY
Contractor Performance
The City currently has one biosolids contractor, RENDA Environmental Inc. (REI). REI is responsible for (1) operating the dewatering facility and further processing the biosolids by belt-filter press dewatering, (2) stabilization by lime addition, (3) transportation, and (4) land application to beneficially reuse the biosolids produced at Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility.
Oversight/ Inspections
The Water Department performs daily, periodic and unannounced visits and inspections to dewatering facility, land application sites, etc. to ensure that best biosolids management practices are followed concerning biosolids dewatering, transportation and land application.
Monitoring and Measurement
By City contract, the Contractor uses an independent certified laboratory to analyze the biosolids produced at Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility. The Water Department’s “NELAC certified” Central Laboratory also analyzes biosolids when required to verify the contractor’s results.
Samples of biosolids are taken from the process areas and analyzed for fecal coliform, pathogens, metals, PCBs, pH, % solids, and vector attraction reduction. Sampling frequency is established by the contract, federal, state, and local regulatory reporting requirements and is summarized in the table.
CLASS “A” BIOSOLIDS MONITORING – Fort Worth Biosolids Program
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Pathogen Reduction
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30 TAC 312.82 (a) Alternative 4
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Fecal Coliform Density < 1000 MPN* (*Most Probable Number)
Enteric Virus Density < 1 Plaque-forming unit per 4 grams total solids** (**Dry Weight Basis)
Viable Helminth Ova Density < 1 per 4 grams total solids **
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Vector Attraction Reduction
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30 TAC 312.83 (b) (1-8) Alternative 6
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pH of sewage sludge shall be raised to 12 or higher by alkali addition and, without the addition of more alkali, shall remain at 12 or higher for two hours and then remain at a pH of 11.5 or higher for an additional 22 hours
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Monitored Item;
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Frequency;
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Fecal Coliform
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Two (2) times per month
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Pathogens
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Two (2) times per month
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Metals
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Monthly
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PCBs
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Monthly
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TCLP
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Annually
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pH (Vector Attraction Reduction)
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Operational Process – Daily; Regulatory Compliance - Weekly
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% Solids
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Daily
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Ten metals are analyzed monthly. In FY 2006-2007, all metal concentrations were significantly below Table 1 ceiling concentration limits and Table 3 pollutant concentrations as required by the U.S. EPA Part 503 federal regulations for the use or disposal of sewage sludge. The metal concentrations can be seen below.
Contact Information
To find out more information about the City of Fort Worth Biosolids “Beneficial Reuse/Recycling” Program and the Fort Worth Biosolids EMS program, please call:
Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility 817-392-4960
Biosolids EMS Manager 817-392-4965
To review and/or download the Biosolids Program Environmental Management System documents and annual reports please click here.
To find out more information on biosolids in general and about the National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) EMS program, visit the national biosolids website at: www.biosolids.org