[USCC] Definition of "wet ton"

[Donald Lewis]

Group,
 
Speaking as both a regulator and a chemist, I may have some clarification to add to the discussion. Colloquially, a "Wet Ton" usually means 2000 lbs of a mixture of dry matter and a variable quantity of water. This, then, is roughly equivalent to a ton of material "As is". The problem, of course, as noted by members of this group is that if you take some amount of material and add water from a hose, you are effectively selling the water at a cost representative of the value of the dry matter included. For limestone, this can mean selling the water (which is normally available for a few cents per gallon) for 2-3 hundred dollars. When chemists analyze material, they normally base their reports on the amount of dry matter in the material unless the amount of moisture is very stable. Similarly, most weights and measures regulators cast a very critical eye on "As is" sales. 
 
Don Lewis
Compost Coordinator
State Chemist Section
Maryland Department of Agriculture
50 Harry S. Truman Parkway
Annapolis, MD 21401

>>> "David Schellinger" <david_schellinger at bresnan.net> 1/12/2009 10:20 AM >>>
John,
Wet tons can't be defined since moisture is a highly variable property of
finished compost.  The term "as received" denotes a consumer perspective
that the materials will be sold and received "as is".  If you want to define
a wet ton of compost, it would have to be a ton of compost and ambient
moisture.   

Dave Schellinger
Home: (307) 655-5818
Cell:  (307) 752-3258

-----Original Message-----
From: John P Kelly [mailto:John.Kelly at casella.com] 
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 10:29 AM
To: compost at mailman.cloudnet.com 
Subject: [USCC] Definition of "wet ton"




Does anyone have a definition of the term "wet ton" that would support the
standard practice and use of the term to mean "as is, as received"?

Thank you.

John Kelly
New England Organics
Director of Product Sales
135 Presumpscot Street, Unit 1
Portland, ME  04103
1-877-4-COMPOST
207-347-3605
207-781-5794 fax
207-650-5010 cell
www.earthlifegrows.com 


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