Communities across North America have joined together to conserve our natural resources by recycling everything from glass and plastics to paper and metal. Wastewater treatment facilities in big cities and small towns also understand the importance of recycling. Biosolids are used for everything from helping to fertilize the lawn of the White House to producing greater crop yields for farmers. Biosolids are a byproduct of specially treated, stabilized and disinfected water that may have originated from household wastewater, industrial wastewater, and stormwater runoff. And the more we succeed in cleaning our water, the more biosolids we can produce and put to beneficial use.
R ecycling biosolids for beneficial use means quality control and safety.
Pretreatment regulations require that industrial plants treat or remove any contaminants from their wastewater before it is discharged to a municipal treatment plant. During wastewater treatment, regular testing ensures the high quality of biosolids. And specifically-mandated treatments minimize any potential odor associated with biosolids. These criteria are based on EPA's rigorous review of decades of long-term scientific studies regarding the safety and efficacy of biosolids recycling. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also encourage the beneficial use of biosolids.