Land Application of Biosolids in Florida: Challenges, opportunities, and equitable solutions

Community planning entails considering all aspects of human activity. As Florida’s growth continues to skyrocket, we are pressed for sustainable management of society’s wastes. Biosolids (sludge, septage) are a byproduct of common wastewater treatment processes. In Florida, most biosolids are landfilled or transported and applied on rural lands as fertilizer or soil amendment. With our state’s water quality challenges and as our rural areas feel pressure from development, a more sustainable, long-term solution to the conventional land application of biosolids is needed. In this webinar, consultant Craig Diamond, environmental economist Dr. Chris De Bodisco, and Florida State University PhD student and researcher Elio Fernandez set the scene of current biosolids management, and preview findings from an ongoing 1000 Friends of Florida project evaluating biosolids management, distributional considerations of Florida’s disposal practices, and options to mitigate its impacts.