DOCUMENTS

BID DOCUMENT

The Bid Document defines the parameters of the project and the roles of the Owner and the Contractor. A crucial part of the Bid Document is the method used to determine the bid price. A large portion of the information obtained in the Bid Document is derived from the Sludge Management Plan and the Preliminary 503 Report.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

The Request for Proposal (RFP) document is used by lagoon Owners to pre-qualify bidders, as well as determining the most appropriate method of desludging their lagoon(s) and land applying the liquid sludge. Information from the RFP is useful in preparing the Bid Document.

SLUDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Sludge Management Plan is not an EPA required document under the 40 CFR Part 503 guidelines. However, it is a requirement of the State Regulatory Agencies. The lagoon desludging method; transportation of liquid solids; and land application procedures are detailed in this report.

EPA 40 CFR PART 503 PRELIMINARY REPORT

The Preliminary 503 Report contains the required laboratory analysis of the lagoon sludge and the land application site soils. This report determines the appropriate agronomic loading rate for the selected wastewater lagoon sludge based on the selected crop, soil factors, and the anticipated yield rate. Sludge nutrients, heavy metals, vector attraction, and fecal coliform testing are all a part of the Preliminary 503 Report.

REGULATORY APPROVAL DOCUMENTS

Regulatory approval is a crucial component of any lagoon desludging project. The Sludge Management Plan and the 40 CFR Part 503 Preliminary Report are used to obtain regulatory approval to proceed with their respective project. These documents are critical in covering the Owner’s liability under the Certified Federal Register, CFR Part 503 guidelines, for land application of wastewater sludge. No project should be started without first obtaining prior regulatory approval from the appropriate regulatory agencies.

EPA 40 CFR PART 503 AS-APPLIED REPORT

The As-Applied 503 Report includes nutrient testing, and in some cases retesting of the heavy metals. The as-applied, or actual sludge application rate, of the liquid sludge is determined in this report. The As-Applied 503 Report along with the Final Report calculations are submitted to the State Regulatory Agencies, affirming that the appropriate land application rates for the liquid sludge were met.

LAND APPLICATION

The desludging of domestic wastewater treatment lagoons is generally required every 15 to 25 years to return the facility to its normal rated design capacity.

 

The sludge or solid residue that is generated from wastewater treatment lagoons is frequently referred to as biosolids and has a beneficial and valuable re-use.

 

The land application of biosolids is the addition of biosolids to agronomic or turf systems where the materials function as a supplemental organic fertilizer or soil amendment for enhancing crop production.