DC turning waste water solids into gardeners’ gold

Bloom soil
Prototype bags of Bloom soil additive, made from biosolids taken from the Blue Plains water treatment plant, are ready to be used for landscaping. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
DC Water's chairman of the board Matt Brown
DC Water’s board Chairman Matt Brown talks about the biosolids recycling program. He says that by using the new process, “we can green the earth, and green our pockets.” (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
Bloom
The soil additive is rich in nutrients, and classified as a Class A biosolids product, which can be used to grow crops. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
Bloom soil
DC Water’s George Hawkins says he expects the new Bloom product will be available next year in local home and garden stores. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
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Bloom soil
DC Water's chairman of the board Matt Brown
Bloom
Bloom soil

WASHINGTON — As he takes a deep breath of the product that comes from D.C.’s Blue Plains waste water treatment plant, DC Water CEO and general manager George Hawkins smiles.

“That smells like good, fresh earth,” said Hawkins, as he unveiled a new soil product called Bloom, which will be available to buy at home and garden stores within a year.

Using new equipment, Hawkins says DC Water is turning what used to be classified as waste into a desirable product for landscapers.

“There’s a lot of materials we don’t want in our rivers, because it’s filled with nutrients, and if it’s in the water it causes algae to grow and uses up the oxygen and causes a tremendous problem for the ecosystem in the (Potomac) river,” said Hawkins.

However, Hawkins said that nutrients aren’t always a bad thing: “That’s what’s in every fertilizer. That’s what’s in good soil.”

The District is not the first city to turn it’s waste water biosolids into something gardeners want.

“Milwaukee has been doing this for years with Milorganite,” said Hawkins. “It’s the same idea.”

DC Water’s thermal hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion facility uses high heat and pressure, along with favorable microbes, to create what is labeled Class A biosolids — clean enough to be used for growing crops for human consumption.

“We have partnerships with different enterprises where we’re experimenting with different blends, where we might have some specialty blends,” said Hawkins, displaying prototype bags of the product called Bloom. “We’re testing it. We believe it’s super clean so we want to be able to demonstrate that in various mixtures.,” he said.

Hawkins goes out on a limb, with the bottom line for gardeners on the product.

“I guarantee your plants will grow strong and true,” said Hawkins. “I grew tomatoes and they were delicious.”

Neal Augenstein

Neal Augenstein has been a general assignment reporter with WTOP since 1997. He says he looks forward to coming to work every day, even though that means waking up at 3:30 a.m.

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