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Donohue & Associates, Inc. and the City of Hutchinson received a Best of State Award in the 2005 Engineering Excellence competition sponsored by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Wisconsin. The project recognized the design of the Biosolids Drying Facility at the Hutchinson, Minnesota, Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project was also a finalist in the national ACEC Engineering Excellence competition.
The new biosolid facilities use heat drying to convert wastewater solids into a nutrient-rich organic material that is then pressed into clean, non-odorous fertilizer pellets for use by golf courses and nurseries. The product was test-applied to a local golf course in 2004 with exceptional results.
"I didn’t know what to expect at first, but the fertilizer worked wonderfully. It made an unbelievable difference on our fairways, greens, and tees. The improvements were really noticeable in a short amount of time," stated Kevin Foemming, Superintendent, Crow River Country Club.
One complex aspect of the project was the integration of the highly mechanized pelletizing operation, typically used for grain feed and other applications, into the biosolids process. Hutchinson’s facility is the only known wastewater facility in the Upper Midwest to produce a pellet product.
In the past, drying facilities have not been considered feasible for smaller communities. This project has shown that a mid-size community can implement cost-effective biosolid drying facilities and produce a reusable end product that benefits the environment.
"Not only does this project demonstrate an innovative use of existing palletizing equipment, it also enables small facilities to get into this type of project," said Engineering Excellence Judge Gerry Novotny.
Donohue has won five Best of State Engineering Excellence Awards since 2002. Award criteria includes uniqueness and originality, technical, social and economic value, complexity, and success of the projects in meeting goals.
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