Sewage Sludge (Biosolids) Fact Sheet 

***************************************************** 

1. Management of Sewage Sludge in the United States 

- U.S. EPA estimates that a total of 5 - 6 Million dry metric tons are generated 

at the 16,500 POTWS located in the United States each year 

..- Landfilled Distributed & Marketed 

(9%) 

----"J. ..

 -i (28%) 

Land Applied 

(45%) 

,"

Surface Disposal 

(1%) 

Incinerated (17%) 

(850,000 - 1 million dry metric tons/yr) 

2. Land Application, Distribution & Marketing, Incineration and 

Surface Disposal of Sewage Sludge has been Regulated under 

40 CFR Part 503 (Use or Disposal of Sewage Sludge) since 

February 19, 1993. 

3. Landfilling of Sewage Sludge is Regulated under 40 CFR Part 257 

(Criteria for Classification of Solid Waste Disposal Facilities and 

Practices.) 

4. Sewage Sludge Incinerators (55 Is) have been utilized in the United 

States since the 1930s. 

5. The operation of SSls results in: 

- A 80 - 95% reduction in solids 

- Destruction of pathogens 

- Degradation of potentially toxic organic compounds 

- Production of an inert non-toxic/non-hazardous ash 
6. Number and Location of SSls (NACW A May 2007 Survey for EPA-RTP) 

- 230 SSIs @ 119 POTWs in 26 states (See attachment for details.) 

7. Emissions from 55 Is of Urban HAPs 

- NACWA collected data for Bill Neuffer (EPA-RTP) and MACTEC, from Feb. -

May 2007, concerning emissions of the following urban Hazardous Air Pollutants 

(HAPs) from SSIs: 

Pollutant* NACW A Findin!!s 

PCBs" Negligible source 

Cadmium " 

Lead " 

1,1,2,2 Tetrachloroethane" " 

Dioxin " 

Acrvlonitrile' , " 

Mercurv " 

* From EPA's 1 12(k) Area Source ContnbutlOn Table, dated July 10,2002 

.. Seldom found in sewage sludge - destroyed by the SSI's high exhaust gas temperatures 

8. Reasons Why POTWs Incinerate 

Most cost-effective sewage sludge management option 

No land application sites or landfills readily available 

Can't land apply during winter months 

Don't have the ability to produce compost or a land applicable product 

Substantially reduced truck traffic 

Low air and odor emissions 

9. Types of Sewage Sludge Incinerators 

Multiple Hearth Fluidized Bed 
Biosolids Incinerators in the U.S. (2007)* 

TYPE 

Fluidized Mutliple No. of 

Electric Arc Bed Hearth POTWs that 

STATE Incinerators Incinerators Incinerators Total Incinerate 

Alabama 0 0 0 0 

Alaska 1 1 1 3 3 

Arizona 0 0 0 0 

California 0 0 4 4 2 

Colorado 0 0 0 0 

Connecticut 0 2 7 9 5 

Delaware 0 0 0 0 

Florida 0 0 0 0 

Georgia 0 2 6 8 4 

Hawaii 0 0 0 0 

Idaho 0 0 0 0 

Illinois 0 0 0 0 

Indiana 0 0 4 4 1 

Iowa 0 2 1 3 2 

Kansas 0 2 0 2 1 

Kentucky 0 0 0 0 

Louisiana 0 1 1 2 1 

Maine 0 0 0 0 

Maryland 0 2 2 4 2 

Massachusetts 0 2 4 6 3 

Michigan 0 2 24 26 9 

Minnesota 0 3 2 5 2 

Mississippi 0 0 0 0 

Missouri 0 2 13 15 5 

Montana 0 0 0 0 

Nebraska 0 0 0 0 

Nevada 0 0 0 0 

New Hampshire 0 1 0 1 1 

New Jersey 0 11 8 19 10 

New Mexico 0 0 0 0 

New York 0 13 25 38 20 

North Carolina 0 2 1 3 3 

North Dakota 0 0 0 0 

Ohio 0 1 28 29 12 

Oklahoma 0 0 0 0 

Oregon 0 0 0 0 

Pennsylvania 0 5 8 13 10 

Puerto Rico 0 0 1 1 1 

Rhode Island 0 0 3 3 2 

South Carolina 0 1 3 4 3 

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TYPE 

Fluidized Mutliple No. of 

Electric Arc Bed Hearth POTWs thaI 

STATE Incinerators Incinerators Incinerators Total Incinerate 

South Dakota 0 0 0 0 

Tennessee 0 0 0 0 

Texas 0 0 0 0 

Utah 0 0 0 0 

Vermont 0 0 0 0 

Virginia 0 2 16 18 9 

Washington 0 4 2 6 5 

West Virginia 0 1 0 1 1 

Wisconsin 0 0 3 3 2 

Wyoming 0 0 0 0 

TOTAL 1 62 167 230 119 

• Data collected by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies 

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