Water utility flags Senate Bill 3, PFAS concerns and costs if land-application of biosolids is banned

City water utility staff told the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust that Senate Bill 3 would ban land application of biosolids in Oklahoma, a change staff warned could cause near-term operational and cost impacts for the utility.

Director Browning briefed the trustees during his general manager’s report. He said the utility currently uses about 11,000 acres for land application of biosolids and that the system produces “almost 400 tons a day.” Browning said the utility has been monitoring PFOS levels in biosolids and that concentrations at the city’s application sites are in parts per billion; by contrast, Browning said the Environmental Protection Agency’s health-based value for PFOS in drinking water is 4 parts per trillion, a metric for direct-consumption water that staff said does not translate directly to land-application risk.

Browning told trustees the EPA had completed a health assessment but had not published a timetable for setting maximum PFAS levels for biosolids. He said the utility believes a total immediate ban would be premature and has discussed a transition approach with state legislators that could allow several years for alternatives such as changes to dewatering processes.

Why it matters: Many wastewater systems rely on land application as a final biosolids-management option. Browning said a sudden ban would force large operational changes, could require substantial landfill hauling capacity and cost increases, and would affect rural landowners who currently receive biosolids for beneficial reuse.

Key details

- Legislation. Browning described Senate Bill 3 as legislation that "would ban, prohibit the application of biosolids onto lands in Oklahoma." He said a related house bill did not advance out of committee this year; the house bill would have required additional signage and other measures but is not moving forward this session.

- Scale and quantity. Browning said the utility has about 11,000 acres used for land application and produces almost 400 tons of biosolids per day. He said hauling all solids to landfills would cost about $6,000,000 per year just for hauling.

- PFAS monitoring and regulatory context. Browning said the utility is monitoring PFOS in sludge and that the EPA has completed a health assessment for PFAS but has not set maximum levels for biosolids; staff are awaiting federal guidance. Browning said the EPA’s drinking-water reference for PFOS (4 parts per trillion) is not directly comparable to parts-per-billion concentrations measured in biosolids because pathways and exposure differ.

- Policy approach suggested by staff. Browning said he has met with state lawmakers, including "Senator Green," and asked that legislators consider a multi-year transition (for example, a five-year phase) so utilities have time to modify solids handling (Browning cited changes underway at Deer Creek and Chisholm Creek) rather than face an immediate prohibition.

Context and next steps

Browning said he will continue discussions with state legislators and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and will seek to clarify the Oklahoma Municipal League’s (OML) position. He framed land application as a beneficial reuse channel that remains practical while alternatives such as landfill disposal and major process changes are evaluated.

Ending

Trustees did not take an action on the legislation during the meeting. Browning said staff would continue engagement with the legislature and DEQ and update the board as the policy process unfolds.