The long-term and the short-term at a cropping municipal sewage sludge disposal facility

Conference · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:6791791

Welby, C W ^[1]

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1. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States). Dept. of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

The City of Raleigh, NC, chose land application of municipal sewage sludge as a means of reducing pollution to the Neuse River. The Neuse River Waste Water Treatment Plant (NRWWTP) is located in the Piedmont Province of North Carolina. The soils at the facility are derived largely from the Rolesville Granite. Sewage sludge is applied to over 640 acres of cropland, owned in fee or leased. In making the policy decision for use of the sludge land application method 20 or so years ago, the City had to evaluate the potential for heavy metal accumulation in the soils and plants as well as the potential for ground-water contamination from the nitrate-nitrogen. The city also had to make a policy decision about limiting the discharge of heavy metals to the sewer system. Study of data from monitoring wells demonstrate that well position is a key in determining whether or not nitrate-nitrogen contamination is detected. Data from a three-year study suggest that nitrate-nitrogen moves fairly rapidly t the water table, although significant buildup in nitrogen-nitrogen may take a number of years. Evidence exists suggesting that the time between application of sewage sludge and an increase of nitrate-nitrogen at the water table may be on the order of nine months to a year. It is apparent that in the case of municipal sewage sludge application one can anticipate some nitrate-nitrogen buildup and that the public policy on drinking water standards must recognize this fact.

• OSTI ID: 6791791
• Report Number(s): CONF-9404221--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 26:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540230* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540250 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
CHEMISTRY
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GROUND DISPOSAL
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MUNICIPAL WASTES
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
NORTH CAROLINA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SEWAGE
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SLUDGES
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER
WATER CHEMISTRY
WATER POLLUTION