BCR Is Helping Utilities Reduce Biosolids Waste, Improve Emissions

For wastewater utilities, managing biosolids – the residual solids and nutrients at the end of the treatment process – is a major concern. Due to safety, odour, and environmental risks, they can’t usually be stored onsite. They’re often heavy and expensive to transport, which is not only a cost issue – it’s also a source of greenhouse gas emissions. And, in some regions, landfills are limiting what they accept because wet biosolids can be unstable. 

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. Biosolids can be part of the circular economy.” 

Recently, BCR acquired the BIO-SCRU®, an indirect thermal dryer technology targeted to small and medium utilities. The team went straight to work with a complete engineering evaluation of the technology, conducting research and diligence with existing owners and operators to understand their challenges. The team found several ways to address operators’ concerns, improving the solution’s performance and efficiency. BCR’s engineers used the results to guide a complete redesign of the drying system, improving reliability, serviceability, and overall service life, while expanding the performance envelope. This represents the third generation of Bio-Scru®, hence the term Bio-Scru® 3.0. 

Watch Video >> BCR Bio-Scru® 3.0 

“Managing biosolids is an important part of running a wastewater utility,” Rodeman says. “When owners make investments in buildings, equipment, and technologies, they want the most reliable and efficient solutions. They want to know that things will continue to work for decades.” 

Rodeman says BCR is also placing special focus this year on the user experience. “When it comes to biosolids management, there are so many variables. For too long, it’s been an operator’s burden to wade through unintuitive, unhelpful interfaces to adapt to changing conditions and stay at high efficiency. We are investing in new technology to change that.” 

To make the operating system as user-friendly as possible, BCR’s design includes additional instrumentation and learning algorithms to better support these operators as they make their decisions. “As they strive for sustainability, we want to help them achieve the ideal operating conditions to save energy, reduce waste, and lower their costs,” says Rodeman. 

Visit BCR Environmental at WEFTEC 2023 at Booth 1235.