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Stillwater Utility Authority approves new sludge-injection equipment as state bill on land application advances
Summary
The Stillwater Utility Authority approved replacement equipment for beneficial land application of sewage sludge after officials said the existing unit is near end of life; trustees discussed pending Senate Bill 3, which would restrict land application amid PFAS concerns.
The Stillwater Utility Authority on April 7 approved the purchase of replacement equipment to continue subsurface injection of treated sewage sludge, a practice authority staff described as “beneficial land application.”
James Driscoll, Water Utilities Director, told trustees the authority’s current field application rig is roughly 15 years old and operates in a corrosive environment. He said the authority selected a tractor-and-trailer injection unit that offers flexibility: the tractor can be repurposed for other city uses if future regulations prohibit land application, and the trailer is resaleable to agricultural users if needed.
Trustee Clark said a pending state measure, Senate Bill 3, would substantially limit land application over a three-year schedule and cited a potential cost of about $4,578,000 for equipment the city is preparing to buy. Driscoll and Clark said the bill aims at per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) but, as drafted, would apply broadly without numeric PFAS limits and therefore could ban all land application.
Driscoll described the city’s current practice as subsurface injection with a minimum injection depth of about 6 inches. He said the chosen unit’s plow lifts soil to create a void, injects biosolids, and drops soil back to reduce surface exposure and odor. If land application becomes prohibited, Driscoll said the remaining options are dewatering plus landfill disposal or incineration; both carry higher costs and challenges. Dewatering would require construction of a dewatering facility with an estimated minimum three-year lead time. Driscoll said incineration capable of destroying PFAS at required temperatures is not cost effective for the city.
Trustees moved and seconded approval of the item; the motion passed 5–0. Trustees and staff said the purchase is a bridging action in case the state changes rules before the authority can develop a longer-term alternative.
