Sludge left over from treating human waste was traditionally treated with bacteria to break down the organic material, then treated with chlorine to kill the bacteria, and then flushed out into waterways in some areas of the U.S. However, now-a-days, some municipalities are now turning that sludge into a fertilizer to be used on agricultural fields and home gardens. This process not only reduces the risk of disease in waterways if the sludge doesn't get properly treated, but it also limits the amount of chemical fertilizers farmer have to use on their fields to grow healthy vegetables and fruits. Here is how a bio-solid management company turn human waste into a fertilizer.

Sludge Production

Sewage treatment plants collect the human waste from the vast network of sewage pipes that originate from homes and businesses throughout a municipality .The pipes from the homes and businesses are connected to main sewage pipes. The waste in the main pipes is transferred to the sewage treatment facilities through a series of pumps. At the treatment facilities, the sewage is poured into large tanks where the components of the waste (scum, sludge, and waste water) are separated from each other.

Sludge is made up of organic and non-organic solids that settle to the bottom of the tank.  The sludge, after it settles to the bottom of the one tank, is then transferred to another tank so the organic solid materials like human and food waste can be separated from non-organic wastes like plastics and metals. The organic material is allowed to dry and form a paste-like substance.

The organic sludge is then transferred to another tank where human waste eating bacteria is added to the sludge. The bacterium breaks down the waste as the sludge dries out and helps to turn the sludge into a paste like substance.

The organic paste is loading into truck and rail tanker cars and transferred to a fertilizer plant for further processing.

Fertilizer Production

Some facilities will initially put the organic paste into a tank where bacteria to break the waste down even further. As the paste continues to dry, it will turn into a cake-like consistency.

The sludge cake is broken up and poured into large industrial dryers. The temperature inside the dryer can reach upward of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. The dryer tumbles around like a household dryer to make sure all the pieces of cake dry completely.

The excess heat also kills any germs and bacteria that might still be living in what is left of the organic human waste.

Packaging Process

The cake-like substance is often broken down into pellet-sized pieces at the end of the production process. The pellets can be packaged into bags that home gardens can easily carry from a store to the car and home, or it can be placed back into truck and rail tanker cars for shipment to large farms.

For more information, contact a company like Uzelac Industries.