The City of North Battleford sought an alternative solution after experiencing odor issues from land-filling dewatered Class B biosolids. Through a competitive request-for-proposals process, the City selected the Cambridge. Ont.-based Lystek system because it was affordable, environmentally-friendly and compact enough to easily retrofit the city's existing plant using proven thermal hydrolysis technology. The new biosolids management system allows the city to divert biosolids from its land fill and convert them into a nutrient-rich, Class A quality fertilizer registered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

1. Workers inspect a land application demonstration site next to an injector vehicle. PHOTO Robert Palmese.
City sought alternative solution after experiencing odour issues
from landfilling dewatered Class Bbiosolids
by Kevin Litwiller
"The new biosolids management
system allows the city to divert
biosolids from its landfill and
convert them into a nutrient-rich,
Class Aquality fertilizer. "
Lystek reactor
A
:advanced, award-winning biosolids management system developed by
Lystek International Inc. has been delivered on budget and ahead of
chedule in North Battleford, Sask.
Through a competitive request-for-proposals process, the City selected the
Cambridge, Ont.-based Lystek system because it was affordable, environment-
ally-friendly and compact enough to easily retrofit the city's existing plant using
proven thermal hydrolysis technology.
A covered lagoon will be used to store the liquid fertilizer product produced
at Lystek's $3.2-million facility, which started production in November 2014. The
LysteGro biofertilizer product is set to be avai lable for the fall 2015 farming ap-
plication season.
The city began looking for an alternative biosolids management solution after
it began experiencing odour issues with its practice of landfilling dewatered Class
B biosolids.
As one of the first municipalities in Westem Canada to adopt this biosolids system,
Stewart Schafer, the Nonh Banleford's director of operations, stated that wastewater
treatment plant (WWTP) biosolids should be "considered a resource and not a liability."
Lystek says each year over 10 million dry tonnes ofbio-organic waste is gener-
ated in Canada and the U.S. alone. Historically, about 75 per cent of this material
has been landfilled, applied to land or incinerated.
February/March 2015 www.solidwastemag.com 43

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"We are thrilled to be working with the
community ofNorth Battleford as we
expand our industry-leading solutions
into Saskatchewan and across North
America. We look forward to working
with the City to showcase our proven
technology at the open house event
we are planning together for later
this spring.II - Litwiller
Converting biosolids into acommercial fer-
tilizer high in organic matter is a win-win for
both the city and local farmers, says Schafer.
The new biosolids management system al-
lows the city to divert biosolids from its land-
fill and convert them into a nutrient-rich, Class
A quality fertilizer registered by the Canadian
Food Inspection Agency. The process involves
acombination of heat, alkali and high shear mix-
ing which boosts the ph and kills pathogens.
Known as LysteGro, the fertilizer is already in
high demand because it's pathogen-free, high in
nutrients and organic matter, and far more cost
effective than chemical altematives. The fertil-
izer product is expected to help the city generate
revenue and help offset costs.
Higher organic matter levels in the fertil-
izer mean farmers can worry less about over-
application, which has been an issue on some
farms in the past.
In 2013, the Water Security Agency man-
dated that North Battleford have a new bio-
solids management solution in place by no
later than November of 20l5. At the time, the
city was burying the biosolids in the landfill,
which was presenting other problems.
Mike Dougherty, Lystek's manager of fer-
tilizer production and distribution for Lystek,
explained that the company works with local
farmers, soil and crop specialists and land ap-
plication professionals to ensure the soiI is
tested prior to application and that the product
is utilized properly. Generally speaking, this is
done at about 3,000 gallons per acre. Because
the fertilizer is injected several inches into the
soil, there is almost no odour. 0
Kevin Litwiller is Lystek's director of
business development. He can be reached
at kevilll@lystek.coll1.