RDCO has biosolids plan after hiring BioCentral

Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2014 5:45 am | Updated: 5:45 am, Thu Sep 18, 2014. Dorothy Brotherton Westside Weekly
Biosolids — the polite term for what’s left over after sewage is treated — are going to be handled a new way after leaving the Westside Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Regional District of Central Okanagan has awarded a contract to BioCentral to manage the biosolids for the next five years, at a value of about $1.15 million.  A request for proposals went out in August, asking for a handling plan that would be environmentally sustainable as to its impacts on water, air and land, acceptable in terms of odour and health and, of course, affordable. The request specified beneficial reuse of the biosolids. Four proposals were received and input was gathered from Interior Health, before the treatment plant’s select committee of stakeholders gave the contract to BioCentral. “The new biosolids management process will save money over the five years,” said Peachland Mayor Keith Fielding. The cost is $500,000 less than the previous plan plus an additional $1 million in savings because of reduced transportation costs. This comes after Interior Health nixed a plan to continue dumping biosolids at the Old Brenda Mine Site above Peachland. The idea there was to use biosolids as fertilizer on areas that are being re-vegetated. Peachland council had not liked that idea, worrying about impacts to the town’s watershed. Council was relieved when Interior Health said the plan for the proposed treatment and use at Brenda Mine was insufficient to protect drinking water if an extreme wet weather event happened. Biosolids had been trucked to Bob’s Lake pit and to the Pennask pit at Brenda Mine in a pilot program. Peter Rotheisler, manager of environmental services for the regional district, said in his report that the biosolids will be taken to a BioCentral composting facility just west of Merritt under the new contract.