Columbus Water Works (CWW) owns approximately 600 acres of land near the treatment facility. The Land Reclamation Site is adjacent to the treatment facility and consists of 268 acres dedicated to land application of biosolids. This site has been utilized since 1981 as a land application site. The Oxbow Meadows site was developed in 1996 and has 296 acres dedicated to land application of biosolids.

Biosolids are intended to be applied to the fields at approved rates that are calculated annually. The biosolids application rate for Oxbow Meadows and the Land Reclamation Site are at 6 tons/acre. The biosolids are pumped from the treatment facility to "risers" located in the fields. A bulldozer driven plow is connected to a riser by a 600 foot flexible hose. The biosolids are injected 18 inches below the soil surface. After the fields have received their full appliation rates, hay crops are planted and grown to take up the nutrients.

The Land Reclamation site is a 268 acre site divided into 15 fields. It is adjacent to the SCWRF. This area was once heavily mined for sand and clay. CWW purchased the land and developed it into a successful biosolids application program. The site is also bordered by several fishing ponds and the Columbus River walk. Brown top millet and winter wheat are grown for crops with a yield this year of 15,000 bales.

The Oxbow Meadows site is a 296 acre site located about 3/4 mile south of the SCWRF. This site has been divided up into 25 fields. Brown top Millet is grown in the summer and winter wheat is grown in the fall/winter. This year 20,000 bales of winter wheat and brown top millet were harvested.

In 1994, the purchase of the property containing the Oxbow land application site (consisting of about 650 acres) allowed for the creation of the Environmental Learning Center, the closing of an old landfill, and provision of a site for inert waste disposal by the City of Columbus.

During parts of the year, biosolids are dewatered in centrifuges to a concentration of 25% solids and transported off site for land application by a private contractor on permitted sites.

Currently, an innovative demonstration project is underway which provides a very unique approach to removal of nitrates in the soil, as a result of the land application of biosolids. Upon completion of this project, all CWW's production of biosolids can be applied to the existing fields. Presently, application of biosolids on our fields is conducted from May 1 to October 1 each year and accounts for approximately 2,500 dry tons of biosolids annually.

In addition to the nitrate removal demonstration project, a new innovative Process to Further Reduce Pathogens (PFRP) is being developed which will cost effectively produce a Class A biosolids product. The process was originally suggested by Brown and Caldwell during sludge studies consisted of sequenced thermophylic reactors. The process has been confirmed in bench scale studies at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and a prototype unit at the Columbus wastewater plant. The new patent for this project has been donated to the Water Environment Research Foundation so as to be available to other public systems. This project, to be completed by mid-2007, will further enhance CWW's options for biosolids disposal.

The Columbus Water Works is a municipal enterprise operation under the direction of a five person board. The day to day operations are directed by the President, Bob Tant. All treatment operations are managed by the Division of Water Resources, Managed Maintenance and Security which is led by Senior V.P. Cliff Arnett and Vice President Lynn Campbell. The Superintendent of the South Columbus Water Resource Facility is Mike Taylor under which the Biosolids operations are directed.

There are four full time employees in the Biosolids Department

Chad Layfield	Biosolids Manager
Todd Russell	Biosolids Labor Foreman
Nathaniel Bryant	Equipment Operator II
Alton Williams	Equipment Operator II

Equipment is maintained by a central Managed Maintenance Department (MMD) on a scheduled basis for preventive maintenance.

The following equipment is used in the Biosolids Program

2005 New Holland Bale Wagon - Used for collecting and stacking bales of hay from the fields.

1998 JD850 Bulldozer - Primary piece of equipment that hauls the biosolids plow through the fields.

1996 JD 8100 Tractor – This is a back up to the JD850B, but cannot function if the fields are wet and soft. This is the primary equipment used in harrowing the fields.

1998 JD 7810 Tractor – This equipment is used as a back up for the JD8100 in harrowing and disking fields. It is also used for hauling the lime spreader and hay wagon during harvesting. It is also used for mowing and bailing during harvests.

1986 JD 2950 Tractor - Provided limited back up for the JD7810 and also has a front end loader that can be used for light mowing and baling.

1986 JD Ripper Plow – Injects liquid biosolids 18" into the soil.

1997 JD 635 Disk Harrow – Used for 95% of the disking and harrowing duties.

1997 JD 328 Square Baler – Used to make square bales during harvesting.

1997 Hay Rake – Used to rake hay prior to baling. No back up available.

1996 JD Manure Spreader - Used to spread small volumes of lime on the fields and as a sludge spreader at off site locations.

1986 JD Grain Drill – This equipment is used to plant seed.

1997 JD Mower Conditioner – Used in the baling of hay.

Bush Hog – This is a 15 foot wide bush hog and is used to keep the roadways around the fields neatly groomed.

1995 Ford 710 Tractor – Used to push the street sweeper on the Riverwalk and plant areas. It is also used for some light mowing duties.