Agricultural land

The City of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu studied the feasibility of using municipal sewage sludge as agricultural fertilizer. 

Every year, the municipal wastewater treatment plant trucks 11,000 tonnes of biosolids to a landfill more than 100 kilometres away. After field tests, the study team gave a thumbs-up to spreading the sludge on land. The study showed that an open-air composting site would have to be built to treat the biosolids during winter and rainy periods. Ideally, the bulking agent added to the sludge would be organic waste from household collection.

Spreading municipal biosolids on agricultural lands is a solution that has financial benefits for farmers and the municipality, and is good for the environment.

Results

Environmental Economic Social
  • 13,000 tonnes of GHG emissions avoided annually by not landfilling sludge

  • Other environmental impacts of truck traffic reduced

  • The project costs $457,000 per year less than landfilling sludge

  • Farmers benefit from an estimated $120,200 worth of fertilizer per year

  • Field tests showed that there would not be unpleasant odours

  • The project will create at several permanent jobs and contribute to the local economy

Challenges

  • Devising a composting and/or storage scenario for winter, when biosolids cannot be transported directly to farmers' fields.
  • Overcoming the public's discomfort with the idea of spreading sewage sludge on land.

Lessons learned

  • During winter, composting is preferable to simple storage because it brings biosolids to maturity sooner and improves their physical characteristics.
  • Field tests were important in showing that the project would not have negative impacts like unpleasant odours.
  • The proximity of vast agricultural areas is a big part of what made this project economical.

Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada. 

Visit the projects database