Lystek is excited to announce that it has reached Agreements with two Bay Area wastewater agencies to manage a portion of their annual production of biosolids. Mt. View Sanitary Agency (Martinez, Contra Costa County, CA) and Sanitary District No. 5 of Marin County, CA will deliver biosolids to Lystek. The Fairfield-Suisun OMRC provides advanced processing and management solutions to municipal agencies in the San Francisco Bay area at its state-of-the-art facility and converts them into LysteGro®, a US EPA, Class A biofertilizer product.
These agencies have been searching for alternative biosolids management solutions since the recently passed legislation which will restrict the placement of biosolids and organics in landfills. To offer a sustainable solution to generators in the San Francisco Bay area, Lystek entered into a unique, P3 style partnership with the Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District to develop the Lystek OMRC. This facility opened in August 2016, and since then has received and processed over 100,000 tons of biosolids. The center utilizes Lystek’s patented and proven, low-pressure Thermal Hydrolysis Process (LystekTHP®) to convert biosolids and other organic materials into LysteGro Class A biosolids fertilizer. LysteGro is also licensed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) for use as a bulk fertilizer and accepted as an agricultural product by the Solano and Yolo County Departments of Agriculture. Area growers highly value LysteGro because it offers an affordable, nutrient-rich product that is also high in vital, organic matter for sustaining and building soil health. These factors eliminate many of the previous barriers and prohibitions imposed on traditional use of Class B biosolids.
Historically these agencies have transported their biosolids to regional landfills for disposal. Under new Agreements with Lystek, these agencies will be able to convert their biosolids into a high-value product for beneficial use in local agriculture. The Mt. View Sanitary District Agreement was approved at the February 13, 2020 Board meeting. Sanitary District No. 5 of Marin County approved its Agreement with Lystek on March 3, 2020. The forward-thinking staff of these utilities understand the importance of diversifying their biosolids management plan.
“These agreements with Lystek allow the agencies to have security that their biosolids will be handled in accordance with the regulations, while at the same time increase their knowledge and understanding of the fertilizer potential of processed biosolids via the Lystek process and the value that can be recovered from their ‘waste’ products,” says Jim Dunbar, General Manager of the Fairfield, California based OMRC.
For Lystek, the Agreements contribute to the growth and success of the OMRC as it continues to scale toward maximum, operational capacity, adding to volume commitments it has previously secured from a growing list of Bay Area agencies, including San Francisco, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Benicia, Palo Alto and more. The center is rapidly expanding and demonstrating Lystek’s ability to divert hundreds of thousands of tons of biosolids from landfills annually, in favor of higher and better uses.
“We appreciate the opportunity to service Mt. View Sanitary District and Sanitary District No. 5 of Marin County. These agreements further validate our role as a preferred provider of practical and reliable biosolids management solutions for agencies in and around the San Francisco Bay area. We are proud that the Lystek OMRC is playing an important role in the responsible movement toward a growing, more circular economy,” Mr. Dunbar adds.
About Lystek
Lystek International is a leading provider of biosolids and organics management solutions across North America with their proven technology – Lystek THP®. The award-winning Lystek THP system processes organic feedstocks to product a multi-purpose, hydrolyzed product including LysteGro®, a concentrated liquid, nutrient-rich Class A biosolids fertilizer, LysteMize®, a digester enhancement process that increases volatile solids reduction and biogas production, and LysteCarb®, an alternative carbon source for biological nutrient removal. Lystek works with public and private customers to transition WWTPs to advanced resource recovery centers with solutions that are affordable, energy-efficient, easy to operate, and enhance sustainable biosolids processing and management operations.
