Blue Lake Biosolids Stabilization Facility (MN)

A first: MCES chooses alternative delivery construction method

HDR teamed with New England Fertilizer Company (NEFCO) and Bor-Son Construction for the design and construction of a 52 dry-ton-per-day biosolids processing facility. The facility is owned by the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES), which manages wastewater treatment facilities for the Twin Cities area, and is located at the Blue Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant in Shakopee, Minnesota. This is the first time in history that MCES has used alternative delivery construction methods.

Located on the Minnesota River, the Blue Lake WWTP receives an average of 27 mgd of mostly domestic wastewater that yields about 120 wet tons of biosolids per day. The Blue Lake Final Stabilization Facility uses rotary drum heat drying to dry primary and waste activated sludges to Class A, pelletized product that is 90 percent total solids. An average of 32 dry tons of high-grade, slow release organic fertilizer for agricultural, horticultural and turf operations is produced each day.

Project components

The primary process components of the facility include:

  • Materials handling (belt screw conveyer systems)
  • Heat drying with rotary drum dryer
  • Product cooling
  • Pneumatic transportation of the product
  • Nitrogen generation (for product storage)
  • Product storage and load out
  • Pollution control systems (impingement tray and venturi scrubbers, regenerative thermal oxidizer)
  • Odor control