Exchanging Wastes

Hughes, Larry N.; ,

Exchanging Wastes

by Larry N. Hughes, (M.ASCE), Dir. of Waste Treatment Facilities; Greater Peoria Sanitary and Sewage Disposal District, Peoria, IL,

Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1993, Vol. 63, Issue 10, Pg. 72-73

Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

For several years, thousands of cubic yards of dried sludge have been stockpiled at the Greater Peoria Sanitary District's wastewater-treatment plant in Peoria, Ill., because demand for the treated sludge has not kept up with production of 10 dry tons daily. Nearby, the Peoria Disposal Company (PDC), Pottstown, Ill. has been producing excess leachate from its hazardous-waste landfilling operation. The company had to truck its waste to a treatment facility more than 100 mi away. These groups decided to work together to solve these environmental dilemmas. Would it be possible to solve these problems�and save large sums of money�by doing for each other what they do best? With these concerns in mind, the sanitary district contacted PDC and offered to run the leachate through the district's wastewater-treatment facilities. In return, the district asked that PDC beneficially use its treated sludge as landfill cover and cell closure fill. An even trade of services was suggested, with no money changing hands on either side. The district, with many safeguards and restrictions, agreed to accept PDC's treated hazardous-waste leachate and runoff for an initial 10-year period plus five-year extensions. Realistically, 30 years will probably be the full life of the agreement.

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