Water Sector News
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City of Ashland moves to reduce sewer expenses; Plans for a more sustainable practice
On Jan. 16, 2024, the Ashland Board of Aldermen unanimously approved the purchase of a dump trailer to enable the sanitary sewer division to haul biosolids from the city’s wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) to the Columbia landfill for disposal. Biosolids are a sewage byproduct that has undergone treatment to reduce pathogens (dnr.mo.gov).
Ashland Public Works Director James Creel says that Ashland currently outsources this process, as it pays Republic Services to pick up the biosolids from the WWTF and dispose of it at their landfill in Jefferson City.
Creel estimates the city will save $3,000-5,000 per month by disposing of the biosolids using the dump trailer. The city’s sanitary sewer division can transport the waste to the Columbia landfill at a lower cost than what the city currently pays Republic.