Block Environmental Services, Inc
1011 E Main St, , Richmond, United States | Waste recycling
Virginia Biosolids Council
The Virginia Biosolids Council supports the recycling of biosolids in Virginia through information and education on the beneficial use and safety of biosolids.
Our commitment to biosolids recycling is based on the following:
- It’s safe. This is supported by overwhelming scientific evidence and over 30 years of practical experience.
- It’s good for the land. Agriculture application and composting of biosolids benefit the environment by recycling valuable nutrients and soil conditioners.
- It’s good for family farms. The land application of biosolids benefits family farms by enriching Virginia soils and significantly increasing farm productivity.
- It helps preserve rural open space and protect the Chesapeake Bay.
- Biosolids compost benefits homeowners’ lawns and gardens and commercial landscapes by improving soils and plant growth.
Our membership includes municipal wastewater treatment facilities that clean the waters of Virginia communities, companies that recycle biosolids for gardening and home use, and companies that apply biosolids to agricultural fields and forests throughout Virginia.
Code of Good Practice
All members of The Virginia Biosolids Council subscribe to a voluntary Code of Good Practice to provide guidance for recycling biosolids in Virginia.
The guidelines seek to capture current best practices by biosolids generators, land application companies and compost manufacturers and encourage them to go beyond the regulations” to build good relations with the communities they serve.
Each member has pledged to communicate the Code to its employees and strive to implement its principles throughout its operations.
The Code encourages members to establish their own performance objectives that support the following goals:
- Protecting the environment
- Minimizing adverse social impacts
- Promoting education and awareness
What Are Biosolids
Biosolids are mostly organic solids resulting from the treatment of wastewater that have undergone additional treatment to kill pathogens.
During wastewater treatment, bacteria and other tiny organisms break sewage down into simpler, harmless organic matter. The organic matter combined with bacterial cell masses, settles out to form biosolids. Biosolids, which are rich in nutrients, have been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for land application as a fertilizer and soil amendment and for composted products.
Thirty years ago, many American cities dumped their raw sewage directly into our nation’s oceans, rivers, lakes and bays. Today, because of improved wastewater treatment, our waterways are cleaner and safer for recreation and seafood harvest. As wastewater treatment facilities are modernized with the newest and best technology, the amount of biosolids produced in Virginia and nationwide has increased.
Municipal wastewater treatment uses the same processes that nature uses to clean the environment. In streams and lakes, natural aeration helps to purify the water, while microorganisms break down solids. Wastewater treatment plants use settling basins, aeration tanks and digestion or lime to reduce the pathogens—organisms that cause disease—and break down solids.
Municipal treatment facilities require pretreatment measures from businesses and industries to reduce contaminants from wastewater before it enters the sewer. Once wastewater is conveyed to a typical treatment facility, “grit materials” (such as sticks, rags and pebbles) are removed. The wastewater is next allowed to sit in large sedimentation tanks, where some solids settle to the bottom and are collected. The wastewater then continues on for digestion in large tanks where natural beneficial microbes are used to consume and break down wastes and nutrients. These microbes and other solid particles settle to the bottom of the tanks where they are collected. The cleaned wastewater may then receive additional treatment before it is disinfected and returned to waterways.
The solids that are collected from the primary and secondary treatment processes, called sludge, are collected and undergo additional biological treatment or lime stabilization to further decompose the material and destroy any potential disease organisms. These treatment processes reduce odors and destroy most of the potentially harmful pathogens contained in the solids. These treated, stabilized solids are now called biosolids and can then be recycled on farms and forests, or composted.
Health and Safety Facts
The overwhelming body of scientific research supports the conclusion that recycling biosolids on farm fields and forests and composting for residential and commercial applications are safe.
Benefits
Organic matter in biosolids improves soil quality, reduces compaction, increases water-holding capacity, and provides an energy source for necessary microbial activity.
Biosolids enrich the soil with essential nutrients and needed organic matter.
The agricultural benefits of biosolids have been documented for many decades by numerous scientific studies and through the practical experience of thousands of farmers. In Virginia, farmers report that the application of biosolids to land can, in some cases, more than double crop productivity. And since biosolids are used to replace chemical fertilizer applications, farmers not only prevent nutrient runoff but can save $350 an acre or more when biosolids are applied, compared to the cost of commercial fertilizer.
Plants need a complex mixture of nutrients, soil, air and water to grow. Biosolids contain many essential plant nutrients, including the primary macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and, to a lesser extent, potassium; the secondary macronutrients magnesium, calcium and sulfur; and such micronutrients as copper, zinc, iron, manganese, molybdenum and boron.
Organic matter in biosolids improves soil quality, reduces compaction, increases water-holding capacity, and provides an energy source for necessary microbial activity. This reduces water runoff and soil erosion, increases water conservation and increases resistance to drought. Biosolids that have been lime-stabilized help neutralize acidity in soils, just like agricultural limestone. This helps maintain the proper soil pH for crop growth.
Chemically, biosolids increase the soil’s “cation exchange capacity” (CEC), which is a measure of how well soil retains certain plant nutrients. The organic matter in biosolids acts like a magnet and attracts plant nutrients. It helps hold plant nutrients in the root zone and prevents them from leaching.
| Company Details | |
|---|---|
| Company Name | Block Environmental Services, Inc |
| Business Category | Waste recycling |
| Address | 1011 E Main St, Richmond United States |
| President | NA |
| Year Established | 2006 |
| Employees | NA |
| Memberships | NA |
| Hours of Operation | NA |
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