It was record attendance at the 2022 Northeast Residual & Biosolids Conference this year! Nearly 180 people from throughout New England traveled to Portsmouth, NH to participate.  It all started out with a huge turnout (almost 90 registered) for the tour of Dover’s water resource recovery facility (WRRF) solids handling processes. WRRF Supervisor Ray Vermette accommodated all visitors, showing them the facility’s shiny new screw presses and an ongoing pilot of an innovative desiccant drying technology to further reduce the volume of its wastewater solids and save the City money.

The conference reflects a long-standing collaboration between NEWEA and NEBRA with tradition calling for welcoming remarks from the NEWEA President.  In this case, New Hampshire’s own Frederick McNeil welcomed the group and teed up the rest of the conference. Eric Spargimino, current Chair of NEWEA’s Residuals Management Committee, served as host for the first day.  There were two technical sessions related to Thermal Hydrolysis Processes (THP) which recover resources from biosolids and can improve anaerobic digestion and other solids handling processes.  Erik Larson of the Vaughan Company presented on “Doing More with the Same? Effect of THP on Digester Mixing” and Stantec’s Joe Uglevich spoke about “Maximizing the Value of Biosolids from THP at the Piscataway WRRF”. 

The THP presentations were followed by a terrific panel discussion about Biosolids Master Planning, featuring engineering consultant experts with many years of experience.  Thanks to the panelists for sharing their expertise:     

  • Charlie Alix, Stantec

  • Micah Blate, Hazen & Sawyer

  • Natalie Sierra, Brown & Caldwell

  • Tom Schwartz, Woodard & Curran

Audience participation was a key part of these discussions, especially related to planning in the age of PFAS uncertainties. 

Following a welcome from NEBRA’s Immediate Past President Tom Schwartz on day two, NEBRA Executive Director Janine Burke-Wells took over the hosting duties.  The day started out with some big picture presentations including “A Regional Biosolids Approach at a Western NY WPCF” by Amy Weils (Barton and Loguidice), Sara Martin (Critical Path Engineering Solutions) and Dennis Clough (Navitas). Next, Charlie Alix from Stantec demonstrated “What Full On Organics Digestion Looks Like” in a Canadian community.  Attendees also learned a little about Hydrothermal Carbonization technology being employed by the Borough of Phoenixville WRRF from Jeremy Taylor of SoMax Circular Solutions. 

Right before lunch, on Day 2, the technical session topics turned to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in biosolids, kicking off with “PFAS Considerations for Wastewater Professionals” by Kevin Custer from Pace Analytical Services.  After lunch, Todd Williams of Jacobs presented on some interesting data he has been collecting in “Predictability of PFAS Concentrations in Biosolids Compost.”  That was followed by HDR’s Ramola Vaidya with information on “Is it Possible to Remove PFAS from Biosolids? A Review of Different PFAS Removal Technologies.”  After that, it was time for the first-ever Technology “Shark Tank” event with participants putting their best ideas forward.  It featured BioforceTech, CTEC, and NextRung Technologies discussing their patented or patent-pending innovations for recovery resources from biosolids/residuals.

There were ten exhibitors including Carlsen Systems, Casella Organics, Denali Water Solutions, DN Tanks, Englobe, F.R. Mahony & Associates, PWTech, Resource Management, Inc., Tech Sales NE, The Hayes Group and The Maher Corporation.

Copies of all the presentations, as well as a link to the event photos, are posted on the NEBRA website.