Description - Land application for sludge disposal is a preferred sludge management alternative because of its low cost, simplicity, and maximum use of the recycle value of the sludge. It utilizes the physical, chemical, and biological capabilities of the soil to absorb, absorb, and decompose waste constituents in the sludge. The primary objectives of design and management are to provide an environmentally safe beneficial reuse of sludge, maintain the land's potential for future use, and gain and maintain public acceptance. Beneficial sludge constituents include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and certain trace metals that act as fertilizer nutrients, and organic material that serves as a soil conditioner.
Careful management is needed to control pathogens, toxic metals and toxic organics.
Land applied sludge can be an excellent substitute for commercial fertilizers and soil amendments, and can be cost effective for both the municipality applying the sludge and the application site which accepts the sludge. The use of wastewater sludge as a source or supplement of fertilizer nutrient to enhance crop production is widespread in the United States. Common Modifications - Methods vary for transporting and applying sludge to the land site. The same transport vehicle that hauls sludge to the application site can also be equipped to apply the sludge to the land. Sludges are also pumped and transported by pipeline to storage facilities at the site, and then transferred to an application vehicle.