Western Monmouth Utilities Authority Reed Bed Sludge Disposal

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's (NJDEP) bureau of pretreatment and residuals regulates the quality of material(s) that leave sewage treatment plants. The land application of sludge generated by wastewater treatment plants is also regulated under United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) 40 CFR 503. The Western Monmouth Utilities Authority (WMUA) treats wastewater utilizing anaerobic digestion, and the resulting sludge material is transferred to Phragmites australis reed beds, where the sludge is dewatered and excess nutrients are removed. For over a decade WMUA has utilized Phragmites reed beds to de-water their sludge, and these beds are now full to capacity. The material remaining in the beds needs to be disposed of so the beds can be reused. The presence of highly invasive live Phragmites rhizomes precludes this material being categorized as acceptable for land application.

WMUA has commissioned Rutgers University to explore the possibility of finding a treatment option that destroys Phragmites rhizomes. Researchers will also evaluate the potential to kill bacteria that might be present in WMUA sludge, so the residual material meets the highest possible USEPA/NJDEP designated class for land application. Researchers will achieve these objectives by exploring both physical and biological treatments. The physical treatment option involves covering the reed bed sludge material with a black plastic tarp so that heat can build and kill the Phragmites rhizomes. The biological treatment involves composting the reed bed material so that temperatures are achieved that result in the destruction of both Phragmites rhizomes and any bacteria that might be present.