City officials say Lincoln’s biosolid program provides economic, environmental benefits

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Lincoln’s biosolids program will bring economic benefits to the city, while also helping the environment, officials said.

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director Liz Elliott praised the program at a Thursday press conference.

The program converts biosolids created by wastewater treatment facilities into a “dry, nutrient-rich, soil-like fertilizer,” according to officials.

Those dry biosolids are then sold to agriculture producers in the area, instead of going to a landfill.

Officials estimate the program brings in more than $40,000 annually.  The revenue is then reinvested back into the program.

“This is another example of the City’s innovative approach to building a more resilient Lincoln,” Gaylor Baird said in a release. “Expanding the biosolids program lowers costs, helps the environment, and supports the local economy.”

Lincoln currently has two wastewater treatment centers.

New equipment, which creates a material that’s easier for agriculture producers to use, has recently been installed at the Northeast Water Resource Recovery Facility.

“The material we create is a more environmentally desirable product, reduces the use of synthetic fertilizer by our agriculture partners, and is easier for agriculture producers to apply to their crops,” Elliott said in a release. “Working with dry biosolids versus a liquid form is also easier for our Wastewater teammates to manage at both of our facilities and will avoid an estimated $200,000 in material hauling costs annually.”

More information can be found at lincoln.ne.gov/biosolids.