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Kalamazoo begins planning to convert biosolids to dry ash to cut hauling costs and odors
Summary
City staff said they aim to replace current sludge hauling with an on‑site drying and thermal conversion system (dryer + BioCon furnace) that would reduce landfill tonnage by over 95%, lower odors and cut annual hauling costs now at about $13.5 million; staff will seek state funding and hold a public meeting next spring.
City of Kalamazoo public services staff briefed stakeholders on Sept. 24 about a planned shift in how the Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant handles biosolids. The plant currently thickens sludge and hauls it off‑site to landfills; staff said that practice costs about $13.5 million a year and is the system’s largest operating cost. Staff presented an alternative package — mechanical drying followed by a high‑temperature thermal conversion unit (BioCon/energy recovery furnace) — that would produce a mineral ash and reduce volume, weight and odors dramatically.
Under the plan presented, the plant would continue to thicken sludge using centrifuges; the cake would be processed in a dryer to increase solids content and then…
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