WERF offers $100,000 to support groundwater protection research
The Alexandria, Va.-based Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) is offering $100,000 to support research on protecting groundwater near wastewater treatment sites. WERF has issued a request for proposals from companies that can perform the research, and the deadline for submitting proposals is March 12.
The research should result in a compilation of best management practices for operators and owners of facilities that apply biosolids (sewage sludge) to tracts of land to dry and sterilize it and as a fertilizer. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Standards for the Use or Disposal of Sewage Sludge addressed some concerns about stormwater runoff from treated sites that could contaminate groundwater reservoirs. “This research will provide important information to help assure that our groundwaters are protected in areas where biosolids are used as a soil amendment,” says WERF program director Alan Hais. Information on submitting proposals is available at www.werf.org.