Water & Wastewater Treatment

Driving solutions for biosolids The Talk: opinion I t's fair to say change has been glacial in the biosolids arena over the last 20 years, other than the industry led development and implementation of the Biosolids Assurance Scheme (BAS). But times are changing. We're on the threshold of a major change in relation to biosolids management, possibly the most sig- nificant change since the banning of 'sludge disposal to sea' and the introduction of the Sludge Use in Agriculture Regulations in 1989. The challenges to biosolids management are now wide ranging and numerous. There's a need to: l Reduce water bills for customers, whilst managing an ageing asset base. l Meet challenging new targets e.g. the UK's net zero carbon commitment. l Adapt to and mitigate climate change. l Manage biosolids growth from population increase. l Meet tighter environmental standards. l Maintain stakeholder confidence in existing outlets due to emerging risks posed by micro-plastics, chemical pollutants and antimicrobial resistance. l Understand the regulatory challenges facing the EA, specifically the need for the Sludge Strategy review. l Adapt to Water 2020 (biosolids market reform). Indeed, few would argue that we are in a nutrients and fibres recovery, gas for vehicles, hydrogen production), which recognise the value associated with all aspects of biosolids management. This continued innovation is essential to amplifying the benefits associ- ated with biosolids, a key pillar of a circular economy. There is, however, one area where a mixed strategic approach prevails: market reform and the introduction of a competitive market for biosolids management. We have seen the introduction of separate price controls, start- ing in 2020, and the potential for full market opening in 2025. At this stage it's not difficult to understand why uncertainty of how to ap- proach this eventuality prevails. The model to be applied remains uncertain: new market entrants have yet to materialise, mutual aid/trading is seen as spo- radic, the existing regulatory framework adds complexity, and operations and maintenance activities are considered difficult to efficiently disentangle from wastewater management. These current and emerging challenges demand change. And the questions we need to answer to tackle them become clear: How do we ensure that day-to-day opera- tions and biosolids strategies continue to drive efficiency against the backdrop of the many and varying drivers? How do we better understand and adapt biosolids management for both the immediate future, next 25 years and beyond? How do we enable greater competition in such an uncertain market? So how do we prepare for these new and existing challenges? We need to rely on cross- sector expertise from the water industry and beyond, to focus on operational assurance and the optimisation of biosolids systems management. By doing this, we can drive solutions for biosolids, reduce costs, offer op- erational value and create a sustainable future for the industry in the face of its regulatory environment. Richard Lancaster from Atkins reflects on the changing climate in biosolids. time of change or even adversity, however, in adversity there is opportunity. We have seen an alignment of biosolids strategies within the industry over the last five years, with less reliance on disposal (incin- eration) and a greater focus on the recovery of valuable nutrients and micro-nutrients through the application of biosolids to agricul- ture. This shi— to agricultural outlet reliance has been huge; greater than ever before. The change in strategy across the industry has led to a focus on providing a significant increase in anaerobic and advanced digestion capac- ity. And the benefits to customers from this strategy are clear: more renewable energy, less biosolids to recycle, improved product quality, greater product assurance and reduced costs. The land route is still considered the best practicable environmental option. However, the heavy reliance on agriculture across the UK puts the industry at risk should this route be threatened, costs significantly in- crease, or stakeholder perception dwindle. So, understanding and managing risks or seeking alternative strategies will be key in ensuring the future of sustainable and cost effective biosolids management. While advances take time to materialise, this doesn't mean that innovation is being ignored – as evidenced by the developments in pyrolysis/gasification and the research and development into materials recovery (e.g. www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | MARCH 2020 | 13

• Cover
• Contents
• The Talk
• In Focus
• The Knowledge