NEWPORT, Tenn., April 30, 2003—Newport Utilities, recently equipped its wastewater treatment plant with a Dragon Dryer® system from USFilter. The indirect continuous-feed drying system will allow the plant to produce reusable Class “A” biosolids that can be marketed as a beneficial fertilizer or soil amendment to local, nurseries, farmers, golf courses and residents. The dryer is expected to begin operation June 2003.

Newport Utilities has been land applying Class “B” biosolids discharged by their wastewater treatment plant. However, both the EPA’s 40CFR part 503 regulations, which required rigorous monitoring, and local negative public perception of land applying the Class “B” biosolids motivated the utility to improve to Class “A” biosolids production.

”We chose USFilter because of the Dragon Dryer system’s low operational cost and their guarantee to buy what the Dragon Dryer dries,” says Carrol Proffitt, wastewater department manager of Newport Utilities.

“We know there is an active market for the Class “A” biosolids; we are willing to prove it to our customers by buying what the Dragon dries ” says Joey Herndon, USFilter. “Offering to buy or set up a direct brokerage contract, alleviates some of the uncertainty municipalities have about upgrading to Class “A” biosolids production.”

To save time and money, the utility wanted to place the dryer on the second floor of an existing building where they had a plate and frame press for dewatering. USFilter’s application engineering team worked with the utility to develop a plan to fit the dryer’s equipment in the building.

“The modular construction of the Dragon Dryer’s equipment allows us to easily retrofit it into existing buildings, which reduces our customers cost by utilizing their existing assets,” says Herndon.

The Dragon Dryer system’s advanced indirect heating technology safely dries sludge without direct contact with the heat source, while reducing the sludge volume by 75 percent. Isolation of the sludge in the drying chamber allows complete control of the dehydration process, resulting in essentially zero emissions. This simple-to-operate, single-pass system avoids the possibility of recontamination and reduces energy consumption. With its safety features, including over 15 safety interlocks, the Dragon Dryer system is one of the safest sludge dryers on the market.

USFilter has developed a number of innovative technologies to help municipalities manage their biosolids. Technologies from digestion to thermal treatment to composting turn wastewater residuals into high-quality biosolids that are safe for land application. USFilter’s cutting-edge Class “A” biosolids technologies and research, like the Dragon Dryer system, help communities across the country recycle material for return to the environment.