Largo approves $10.12 million, four-year Synagro contract for biosolids dewatering and hauling

The Largo City Commission on Dec. 2 approved a four-year contract with Synagro South LLC to handle dewatering and hauling of biosolids produced at the city's wastewater plant, a deal staff said will reduce the risk of expensive emergency shutdowns.

Kyle Hicks, the city's wastewater treatment plant manager, told commissioners the plant's dewatering equipment was installed between 1977 and 1991 and has ‘‘reached the end of its useful life,’’ producing a multi-week emergency shutdown this summer that required a contractor and cost about $130,000 over four days. Hicks said the city currently processes roughly 4.1 million gallons of sludge into about 180 tons of biosolids fertilizer per month and that operating the existing facility costs ‘‘just over $1,200,000’’ a year while fertilizer sales net about…