Handling Biosolids in Niagara
Storage lagoons located at the Garner Road Biosolids Facility on Chippawa Creek Road are used to store digested sludge for Niagara.
The facility consists of storage lagoon, storage tanks and an onsite dewatering centrifuges. Large storage tanks were constructed in 1999 to minimize the space needed for lagoons and to control air emissions. The site hosts ten storage lagoons and three circular, enamel steel tanks for a total capacity of approximately 92,000 m3.
Biosolids in Niagara
Biosolids from Niagara Region's water and wastewater treatment plants are transported to our centralized biosolids management facility and then delivered to local farmland as fertilizer. Tanker trucks transport the biosolids to Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks approved agricultural sites in accordance with application regulations.
About half of Niagara Region's total biosolids are dewatered mechanically and converted into a soil amendment product.
Benefits of biosolids
- Preserve landfill space and decrease disposal cost
- Provide sustainable methods of fertilization
- Recover essential nutrients that would otherwise go to waste
- Promote healthy soil with its micro-nutrients and trace minerals
- Improves soil structure by improving moisture retention and workability
- Decrease the potential for fertilizers to seep into streams and groundwater
Regulations for the land application of biosolids
In Canada, the regulations and guidelines regarding the use of biosolids fall under the provincial government.
Ontario regulations for the safe use of biosolids on agricultural land are provided by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and enforced by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. These regulations address sewage sludge processing and spreading requirements.
© Niagara Region - 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, ON, L2V 4T7 - Phone: 905-980-6000, Toll-free: 1-800-263-7215
