Alkaline Stabilization

For any number of reasons, your water reclamation facility may lack a process or processes to convert your raw sludge into biosolids suitable for beneficial use. Alkaline stabilization offers a relatively simple and inexpensive method for meeting regulatory pathogen reduction and vector attraction reduction standards necessary to allow beneficial use and, in some states, landfill disposal. The resulting stabilized product is an excellent choice for agricultural land application or reclamation of land drastically disturbed by mining.

In addition to meeting those pathogen reduction and vector attraction reduction criteria, alkaline stabilization also offers the following benefits including:

• Minimizing capital and operation costs,
• Requiring a small footprint for the processing facility,
• Diminishing use of process water and energy, and
• Increasing solids concentration.

This latter attribute is becoming especially important in situations where local landfills are rejecting biosolids as “wet wastes” and charging additionally to solidify those materials before they can be accepted for disposal.

For some of our municipal partners producing only liquid sludge, Synagro has installed, and now operates and maintains, mechanical dewatering and alkaline stabilization systems, taking full responsibility for managing the end product while meeting all regulatory requirements.

Alkaline stabilization can also be a process whereby Class A pathogen reduction is achieved. Synagro’s proprietary Bio Fix^SM process increases the pH and temperature of the biosolids in a manner consistent with U.S. EPA 40 CFR Part 503.32 standards for time and temperature. The product from the BIO*FIX process can be successfully used as agricultural lime substitute, soil amendment and landfill cover.

Additionally, Synagro can utilize a combination of alkaline stabilization and thermal drying to produce an exceptional quality product meeting Class A pathogen reduction and vector attraction reduction standards. At our Watershed Resource Center in Curtis Bay, Maryland, we apply this technique to generate Class A materials that can be directly distributed as a fertilizer and/or utilized as a base in blending other fertilizer, liming materials and soil amendments/products for growers. 

Additionally, Synagro can utilize a combination of alkaline stabilization and thermal drying to produce an exceptional quality product meeting Class A pathogen reduction and vector attraction reduction standards. We apply this technique to generate Class A materials that can be directly distributed as a fertilizer and/or utilized as a base in blending other fertilizer, liming materials and soil amendments/products for growers.