Assessment of alternative strategies for sludge disposal into deep ocean basins off Southern California
Creators: name: Jackson, George A.
name: Koh, Robert C. Y.
name: Brooks, Norman H.
name: Morgan, James J.
Publisher: name: California Institute of Technology
Year: 1979

description: The general framework of engineering alternatives for regional ocean sludge disposal is well described in a report by Raksit, and will not be repeated here. The various ocean disposal alternatives are less costly than all land-disposal and incineration/pyrolysis systems studied. Even though ocean sludge disposal is currently contrary to both state and federal regulations, it is hoped that this study will advance our scientific and engineering knowledge of the behavior and effects of sludge discharge in deep water, in case the regulatory policy is reexamined in the future. 

With this report we hope we have demonstrated the potential and difficulties of some new modeling techniques for predicting the effects of sludge discharge in the ocean. In the future. we believe it will be possible to formulate policy of ocean sludge discharges with much better case-by-case predictions of impacts for comparison with other alternatives (such as land disposal). not only for the Los Angeles/Orange County areas, but for all coastal urban areas.
description: © 1979 Environmental Quality Laboratory. California Institute of Technology. 

EQL's research project on effects of alternative practices for sewage sludge discharge in the ocean has been supported in turn by the Ford Foundation (Grant No. 740-0469) from 1975 through February 1977; by the Rockefeller Foundation (Grant No. CA NES 7706) from March 1977 through February 1978; and by a consortium of the County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles, and the County Sanitation Districts of Orange County since August 1977. Bill Davis and Roger T. Haug, representing the local sponsoring agencies, provided very helpful liaison. The authors wish to acknowledge especially the summer (1977) research work of Douglas Kent, who conducted the literature review on chemical information and prepared the first draft of most of Appendix 1; Victor Pereyra, who helped with the computations; and Russ McDuff and Joris Gieskes, who helped obtain the hydrographic data. For skillful typing of the manuscript, our thanks go to Debra Brownlie, Diane Davis, Pat Houseworth, Dana Leimbach, Joan Matthews, and Donna Straight. We also thank Pat Marble for her assistance with graphics and Theresa Fall for editorial assistance.

This study is part of EQL's ongoing research on the assessment of various strategies for ocean disposal of digested sewage sludge, with particular reference to the Southern California Bight. Two reports have been issued previously, supported in part by the Ford Foundation. 

This report presents work in progress since early 1977, with support of the Rockefeller Foundation and three local sewerage agencies (City of Los Angeles, Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, and Sanitation Districts of Orange County). The latter contract covers LA/OMA sub-element 5.2 except for limited field work being done under a separate contract by the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. SCCWRP's report of field work is included as an attachment to this report.