TURNING WASTE INTO SAVINGS: MERIDIAN’S NEW BIOSOLIDS DRYER

Meridian is taking another big step toward planning for the future, operating smarter, and saving ratepayer dollars for the long term. In a few short weeks, the City’s new Thermally Enhanced Solar Greenhouse Biosolids Dryer will be put into service at the Meridian Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility.

What are Biosolids?

The City processes wastewater from every home and business and that process includes removing contaminants from wastewater through a series of physical, biological, and chemical processes. These treatment methods separate the solids from liquids, break down the organic material, and clean the water to meet strict environmental standards. The remaining solids, called biosolids, continue with their treatment, where they will be placed in the new biosolids dryer, where any remaining water content can be evaporated from the solids. 

The biosolids dryer is able to reduce the residual moisture in the solids by about 94%, evaporating 18 tons of water per day. This results in significantly fewer trips to the landfill, which saves the City in disposal and hauling costs as well as helping extend the life of the landfill. It also keeps our hauling truck off the road, using less fuel, reducing emissions, saving staff time, and resulting in less traffic on the roads.
 
The biosolids dryer uses solar energy, essentially like a greenhouse to raise the temperature and evaporate the moisture in the solids. However, the innovative part of the building is the heated floor plates which dry the solids even further and help the process work effectively in our climate that doesn’t always have sunny days. To heat the floor plates, the City is using biogas, the naturally occurring byproduct of the wastewater treatment process. By using these renewable energy sources, the City can further reduce the cost of operation and increase the benefit to the environment.

The project used one-time funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) to fund construction of the facility and deliver measurable savings to the residents of Meridian.

Once operational, the Biosolids Dryer is estimated to reduce trips to the landfill and ongoing operational costs by approximately $300,000 every year. 

By turning this investment of one-time federal funding into a long-term infrastructure improvement, Meridian has strengthened the essential services it provides while reducing the overall cost of our sewer services on our residents and businesses. 

It is a practical example of how thoughtful planning today can deliver measurable benefits for our community well into the future.