North Battleford city council is moving forward with a pre-design study for a biosolids management project dealing with a proposed sludge composting facility.
Associated Engineering was awarded the contract for the pre-design study in the amount of $50,000. That carried unanimously at last Monday's meeting.
The pre-design report is mandated under the city's 2011 permit to operate sewage works. A request for a proposal was sent to Associated Engineering outlining the next phase of the biosolids management project.
Among the reasons Associated Engineering was recommended for the contract by the City was their prior experience studying the issues surrounding the disposal of biosolids, or sludge, from the wastewater treatment plant to the landfill pit. Associated Engineering had been commissioned to review different options in 2009. That final report was submitted to administration in December 2009 and to the Ministry of Environment.
The City is looking at a number of treatment methods including digesters and composting, according to a memo from Public Works Director Stewart Schafer.
According to Schafer's memo, this includes reviewing the different types of composting facilities, proposing locations, determining the area required for each type of composting facility, developing preliminary site plans, developing preliminary costs and construction schedules, the equipment and work force required for the facilities. It would also include estimated yearly operations costs for the composting facilities, the full life cycle costs and estimates for each of the facilities.
