[USCC] Using wastewater digesters for food waste diversion

[A.Niv]

Michele Hello,

I must say first it does not look as a good idea. Although the municipality
may have
"free" Waste Water Treatment Plant but the cost of operation and consequent
environmental result will be far from rational.

Imagine San Jose has 500 tons of food waste daily. This material is fast
decaying,
odorous, leaching smelly stuff with dry matter of 10-15% organics.
In order to convert it to anything comparable to "normal" human waste water
it must be diluted with
water about 20 times and liquidize the solid food waste below 1 mm particle
size.
You end up with 7500 tons or 8000 cu. yards of waste water to be treated.
The amount of energy (electrical) to pump it, mix it, aerate it, pass it
through
all the stages of waste water treatment, then flocculate and separate the
flocculate, strain
it and compost or lime it will cost approximately 500$ per ton of raw food
waste.
Environmentally in contradicts the idea eliminating unnecessary transfers
and dilutions.
If you already collect the waste than simply you may invest in decent
composting plant
or compost at source in on site small composting devices like the KWM-100
positioned in every large
or medium commercial kitchen or condominium. Please see the url:
http://masstech.pl/start_ang.php?ID=ut1
This method costs the operator 2,3 cents per pound.

Andrew Niv
Masstech Ltd.
www.masstech.pl

>
> Greetings to all,
>
> I am looking for municipalities or individuals who have had experiences
with
> the digestion of food waste through a waste water digestor system.  With
the
> closure of our cannery system here, we have excess capacity at the
treatment
> plant (which we manage), and a zero waste goal.  I need to do some
research
> to see how we might proceed with moving material into the system.
>
> Our treatment plant engineers are ready to try it, so they are looking at
> the loading and facility side.  I would like more information on the
> logistics of food waste generation, transportation, composting, etc.  Any
> contacts will be helpful.
>
> Cheers  Michele Young
> City of San Jose
>
> Turn Over an Old Leaf - Compost!
>
> Michele Young
> City of San Jose
> Environmental Services Department
> 200 E. Santa Clara St.   Tower 10
> San Jose,  CA  95113
> Phone: (408) 975-2519
> FAX: (408) 262-6213
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Compost maillist  -  Compost at composter.com
> http://mailman.cloudnet.com/mailman/listinfo/compost
>
> This list is a service provided by the US Composting Council.
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
> Ongoing Sponsors of the USCC Discussion list are:
>
> Food Industry Environmental Network (FIEN), a regulatory and policy e-mail
alert service for environmental, food and agricultural industry
professionals.
> Contact Jack Cooper 301/384-8287 JLC at fien.com --- www.fien.com
>
> Renewable Carbon Management, LLC with the containerized, in-vessel
NaturTech Composting System www.composter.com rcm at composter.com
>
> (c) Copyright 2006 United States  - All rights reserved
>
> Members posting CC copies to the list and other addresses will have their
posting privelages suspended.  No exceptions!
>
> Opinions expressed represent only the poster and are not necessarily the
opinion or policy of any organization.
>
> Non-members of USCC are encouraged to join the Council through our website
at: http://www.compostingcouncil.org/membership.cfm     For discussion list
policies and information regarding subscribing, unsubscribing, digest or
other options, go to:http://mailman.cloudnet.com/mailman/listinfo/compost
>
> For additional help in unsubscribing or to report bugs and problems, send
a message to the List Manager, Jim McNelly, at compost-owner at composter.com
>
>