{City of Margate}
Margate residents may have to pay for the city to participate in the construction of a large and expensive regional biosolids management facility.
Following a presentation by Curt Keyser, Director of the Department of Environmental and Engineering Services, the commission passed a resolution approving a cost-sharing interlocal agreement with Broward County for the design of the facility during the January 21 meeting.
A group of municipal utilities, including the Coral Springs Improvement District, is exploring regional waste disposal.
The design phase will cost about $50 million, with Margate contributing about $1.8 million. The facility would cost about $500 million, of which Margate would contribute about $18.7 million. Part of the money would come from the wastewater bond, according to Commissioner Arlene Schwartz.
“The county is asking us to help pay for a new treatment facility for our waste,” said Schwartz.
The biowaste that Margate produces every day is collected in trucks and taken out of the city, eventually used as fertilizer on farms, according to Schwartz.
Biosolids are the treated organic solids generated during wastewater treatment. After wastewater contaminants are removed, the remaining solids are stabilized and dewatered in accordance with state and federal regulations. Margate currently produces class B biosolids that meet pathogen-reduction requirements but do not meet the higher standards for unrestricted reuse, according to city information.
Margate dewaters its biosolids onsite to approximately 15-16 percent and hauls the material offsite under contract for permitted land application or landfill disposal. The city does not currently perform advanced biosolids treatment beyond dewatering. Margate generates about 6,800 wet tons of biosolids per year, which equates to 1,070 dry tons.
Biosolids management has become increasingly complex due to a combination of regulatory changes and market constraints. Florida has fewer permitted land application sites, increasing competition for disposal outlets, hauling distances, and costs. Regulatory requirements governing pathogens and emerging contaminants have increased, according to city information.
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