BCR’s Next Chapter: Bio-Scru® 3.0 Installed, Advancing Biosolids Drying

For wastewater utilities, biosolids management remains one of the most pressing challenges. Residual solids at the end of treatment carry safety, odor, and environmental concerns, and cannot be stored onsite for long. Transporting them is costly, energy-intensive, and contributes to emissions. At the same time, land application regulations are tightening and many landfills are restricting wet biosolids, leaving utilities with fewer and more expensive disposal options.

That’s why BCR Environmental developed the Bio-Scru® 3.0 Thermal Dryer — a next-generation solution designed to reduce volume, improve stability, and create a safer, easier-to-handle end product. Instrumented for autonomous operations and designed with input from wastewater engineering firms and municipal customers, the company has delivered equipment for its first three orders and has completed the first installation.

With this new offering, utilities have a proven, cost-effective way to address biosolids challenges, increase dryer performance and reliability, and reduce maintenance and operating costs, while advancing their sustainability goals.

Drying biosolids changes the game, says Lance Rodeman, Vice President of Engineering & Product Management, BCR Environmental. “With drying technologies, we can address many of these pain points. We can reduce the mass that needs to be moved. And, in some cases, utilities can reuse dried biosolids as fertilizer or further process them for the energy to generate heat and destroy targeted pollutants. Biosolids can be part of the circular economy.”

The City of Clinton, Iowa, is the first utility to bring the Bio-Scru® 3.0 online. Installed in the summer of 2025 and commissioned in September, the system marks a major step forward in sustainable biosolids management. BCR’s Field Service team partnered closely with Clinton’s WWTP staff, guiding test runs and providing comprehensive onsite training for operators to ensure confidence and success from the very beginning. And momentum is already building — with two additional Bio-Scru® 3.0 installations scheduled for Q4 2025 and Q1 2026, the technology is quickly gaining traction as utilities seek reliable, cost-effective drying solutions.

>> Watch: Learn about upgrades to Bio-Scru® units in Branson, Missouri, including several 3.0 enhancements

Visit BCR Environmental at WEFTEC 2025 at Booth 3823.