King County earns national 'Seal of Approval' for its biosolids recycling program

2004 Archived News

King County's Wastewater Treatment Division today became one of the first public wastewater utilities in the United States to receive a prestigious national "Seal of Approval" for its biosolids program. Biosolids are the nutrient-rich organic byproduct of wastewater treatment that's recycled as a soil amendment in Douglas County, the Yakima Valley, the Cascade foothills and King County gardens.

During a special presentation, King County Executive Ron Sims received certification of the program's Environmental Management System from officials of the National Biosolids Partnership, or NBP -- an alliance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Water Environment Federation and Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies.

Other people receiving certificates included representatives of the county's biosolids partners in agriculture, forestry and composting from Eastern Washington and King County.

"For nearly 40 years, the staff and management of our wastewater treatment utility have been planning, building, operating and maintaining a system that has been preventing water pollution in our region," Sims said. "A key to our success has been our innovative program for producing and recycling biosolids."

During the ceremony, Michael Read of the National Biosolids Partnership and vice president of the Water Environment Federationm, joined with representatives of the partner organizations to present a plaque to Sims.

"As a new agency admitted to the NBP EMS program, the King County Wastewater Treatment Division has now earned the Partnerships' 'Seal of Approval,'" Read said. "This designation recognizes that King County has met all requirements for certification and admittance to the NBP EMS program."

Read explained that an independent audit verified King County does the following:

• runs an effective biosolids environmental management system that supports continually improving environmental performance
• exceeds regulatory compliance obligations
• uses good biosolids management practices
• creates meaningful opportunities for public participation.

"The environment is better today for your achievement," Read said. "You truly are an environmental steward for your community. Thank you for being a leader and a model to other wastewater treatment agencies nationwide who want to strive for continuous environmental improvement."

King County's EMS documents, monitors and optimizes the management of wastewater solids and biosolids to meet regulations that protect public health and the environment. It also addresses biosolids-related issues such as public acceptance, odor, noise, and biosolids quality.

"We applaud the Wastewater Treatment Division for the leadership demonstrated in moving forward with the biosolids EMS and for being recognized for successfully completing the third-party audit," said Mike Gearheard, director of the Office of Water and Watersheds for Region 10 of the EPA.

"Water infrastructure is critical to the economic future of our nation," Gearheard said. "We believe that sound management of that infrastructure, which can be enhanced by the use of state-of-the art tools like EMS and asset management, is important to long-term sustainability and the protection of human health and the environment."

William Pugh, past president of the 360-member Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies, said, "The verification of your biosolids EMS through a third-party audit is a major accomplishment for King County, as you are only the third publicly owned wastewater treatment agency in the country to achieve this status.

"I hope you will continue to be a leader in the wastewater utility sector by sharing the benefits of the NBP EMS program with other municipalities around the country," Pugh said. "As one of the original 27 demonstration agencies, your commitment will benefit all the citizens in your service area."

Also attending the presentation were King County partners who use biosolids in agriculture, forestry, compost and soil-improvement projects in Douglas County, the Yakima Valley, the Cascade foothills and King County. Those partners include the Boulder Park Soil Improvement Project in Douglas County; Natural Selection Farms for the Green Valley Project in Yakima County; RAMCO, which applies biosolids to the Hancock Snoqualmie Forest and on various state Department of Natural Resources lands; and GroCo, which has been creating a Class A biosolids compost for King County since the mid-1970s.

"This is a big deal!" Sims said. "It's an example of how King County works to preserve the water quality of the region and protect the environment. And we do so not only in our region but also in other areas of our state in which we recycle this valuable natural resource. Our Biosolids Program has worked hard to maintain the public's confidence by building solid relationships with its recycling partners."

The 7-year-old National Biosolids Partnership is a not-for-profit alliance of the EPA, Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies and Water Environment Federation. It promotes environmentally sound and publicly acceptable biosolids management practices. For more information about the partnership's EMS program, visit its Web site.

For more information about the county's Biosolids Recycling Program, visit its Web site.

King County's Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 18 cities, 16 local sewer utilities and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. The regional public utility has been preventing water pollution for nearly 40 years.