Town of St. Marys continues investment in LysteGro Fertilizer Program

 

2022 – After 15 years of successful operations, the Town of St. Marys reinvests in Lystek THP technology and resource recovery program with supporting equipment upgrades.

Attention: Environmental, agricultural, municipal, wastewater, recycling & waste management, reporters/editors

May 19, 2022 | Cambridge, ON / St. Marys, ON | For Immediate Release The Town of St. Marys is partnering with Lystek International (Lystek) to reinvest in their Lystek THP wastewater resource recovery program with the replacement and upgrade of supporting process equipment.

The Town of St. Marys first partnered with Lystek in 2006 to demonstrate the potential for integrated plant optimization using the Lystek THP technology. The original process Module was designed and installed by GHD (formerly Conestoga Rovers and Associates). The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) LysteGro fertilizer program (Class A quality) at the Town of St. Marys Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) represents Lystek’s second deployment.

With increasing process demands the Town engaged B.M. Ross and Associates Limited to evaluate aging site infrastructure and opportunities to enhance operations. Their analysis revealed that the boiler was in need of replacement and the facility had the electrical supply to support a larger unit. The Town engaged Lystek to evaluate additional opportunities to enhance operations and modernize the Module alongside this equipment upgrade. The Town has now contracted Lystek to replace and upgrade the boiler, along with ancillary equipment. These upgrades will improve the performance of the existing Lystek THP LY3 Module in the new operating conditions and enable the Town to meet the growing process demands at the plant with reduced operating hours.

“The Town originally invested in Lystek THP and our LysteGro fertilizer program over 15 years ago. We are happy to continue our investment in this resource recovery program by partnering with Lystek to upgrade supporting process equipment. This will enhance our operations and secure our fertilizer program for the long term and we look forward to a continued partnership between the Town and Lystek.” – Dave Blake, Environmental Services Manager, Town of St. Marys

The Town has contracted facility operations, inclusive of the Lystek THP Module, to the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA). Lystek is responsible for the annual LysteGro fertilizer sales and marketing program. To date the Town has recovered and recycled more than 17,000 m3 of LysteGro fertilizer from their municipal biosolids to local farmland and has realized revenue benefits from the sale of this beneficial product.

Lystek THP was originally implemented to alleviate the WWTP’s immediate storage capacity concerns and enhance the program with the production of Class A quality LysteGro fertilizer that is regulated by the CFIA. This program concentrated the residual product, reducing the volume stored and management. The WWTP extended the capacity of the existing storage tanks from 90 to 300 days when the program first began. In addition to the benefits associated with producing a CFIA fertilizer product and reducing residual volumes, the technology enhanced digestion performance when the anaerobic digesters were operational on site and provided an alternative carbon source when needed for the biological nutrient removal system.

As their anaerobic digesters reached the end of their life in 2015, the Lystek THP technology enabled the Town to continue to produce a saleable CFIA fertilizer product, without the substantial capital investment required to replace this aging infrastructure.

The St. Marys deployment holds a special place in Lystek’s history being our second installation and first demonstration of all three resource recovery applications – including LysteMize, LysteCarb and LysteGro – at one location. We are proud to have provided the Town with stable and sustainable biosolids processing and management services all these years. It’s been exciting to be a part of the plant’s evolution and see the Town’s continued commitment to the program.” – Ajay Singh, Technical Director and Co-Founder, Lystek International

About Lystek

Lystek International is North America’s leading provider of Thermal Hydrolysis solutions for the sustainable management of biosolids and organics, servicing over 55 public and private customers. Lystek THP® converts dewatered biosolids and non-hazardous organic residuals into a high-solids liquid, multi-use product for full-cycle resource recovery. These products and processes include the LysteMize® process for optimizing anaerobic digestion and biogas production; LysteCarb®, an alternative carbon source for BNR systems; and, LysteGro®, a nutrient-rich biosolids fertilizer. LysteGro is a high solids (13-16% total solids), Class A liquid biosolids fertilizer that is easily stored, transported, and applied using conventional liquid handling equipment and is regulated as a fertilizer product in Canada and the state of California. Lystek offers turnkey solutions including technology supply, design-build and installation services, regional processing solutions, and comprehensive LysteGro product management.