Gaining efficiency & facilitating compliance in biosolids operations and reuse
O’Riain, G., Compass Informatics, UK/Ireland
(free)
The millions of tonnes of biosolids generated in waste and waste water treatment plants and in other
bio-wastes, including slurries, is a huge resource available for safe reuse in agriculture. Concerns
around compliance, and complexity in the multiple steps between plant and field and regulator make
for complications however. Web and mobile based software platforms are now fundamental to such
operations and have delivered significant benefits to operators.
Central to commercial and compliant operations is the use of software platforms to integrate the various
data feeds; to analyse, map, and guide the operations manager; to provide contractor access to key
functions; and to generate reports and plans for internal purposes such as billing, and external
regulatory bodies. The presentation will consider two systems – one used in UK water companies, the
other used to create nutrient management plans for farmers in Ireland.
In relation to biosolids, volume is assessed via sensors at the plant; transport operations recorded via
weighbridge feeds; stockpiles created and spread managed; biosolids recovered to thousands of farms;
valuable income generated, and compliance delivered to Biosolids Assurance Schemes. In relation to
farm slurries and bio wastes, a platform to create and track farm-level nutrient management plans is
central to cross-compliance, water resources protection, and farm payments. These systems have
been central to effective water, waste water, and agri biosolids stewardship and successful commercial
operations.
The presentation outlines the workflows relating to biosolids reuse and compliance, and the specific
roles and benefits of mobile technologies, sensor and IoT integration, GIS and map-based constraints
analysis, automation of admin tasks, comprehensive reporting, and traceability of biosolids. It also
highlights some opportunities for data analysis and predictive analysis as the data resource expands
within the various systems in use in biosolids-related companies
