Reed Beds for the Composting of Sewage Plant Sludge (2007 LGAA)

Village of Tivoli (Winner)
County: Dutchess County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (845) 757-2021

The disposal and storage of sewage treatment plant sludge can represent a significant expense for municipalities. The Village of Tivoli was spending over $25,000 annually to bring their sludge to an out of town incineration facility. This expense, coupled with other environmental concerns, persuaded the Village to seek an alternative solution. With the help of local professionals and a NYSERDA grant, the Reed Bed Project was developed.

Reed Beds work to use the biologic activity of the reeds to reduce water content and minimize solids in the sludge. The only energy necessary to operate the system is that required to pump the sludge from its holding tank to the reed beds. Construction is relatively simple and inexpensive. Earth embankments are lined with sand and gravel, reeds are planted, and simple plumbing installed to move the sludge and drain the water. The life of a reed bed is 10 to 15 years, after which the composted sludge is excavated and suitable for land application.

The Village of Tivoli spent $200,000 to build their .2 acre reed bed site. Construction took approximately six weeks and the site can handle up to 150,000 gallons of sludge per year. Given the Village's satisfaction with their new system, they have started a marketing campaign for nearby municipalities. An informational kiosk has been added to their Village Square and Mayor Cordier has been promoting the technology on National Public Radio and in the local papers. The hope is that other municipalities will start to consider this energy efficient and environmentally friendly way of handling their sludge.