Commerce Township installed advanced biosolids treatment technology, Lystek THP®, to divert biosolids going to landfill with production of Class A LysteGro® Biosolids. The project has successfully reached substantial completion and is producing Class A Biosolids.
Attention: Environmental, agricultural, municipal, wastewater, recycling & waste management, reporters/editors
CAMBRIDGE, Ontario and COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich., July 31, 2024 – Lystek International (Lystek) achieved substantial completion at the Commerce Township Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Michigan in spring 2024. Lystek’s patented thermal-chemical hydrolysis process, Lystek THP®, was selected to transition the Township to a sustainable Class A Biosolids resource recovery program, eliminate landfill disposal, and reduce solids handling costs. This sustainable biosolids management solution will provide the Township with long-term cost-certainty while reducing the program’s carbon footprint.
The Commerce WWTP treats approximately two million gallons per day (MGD) of municipal wastewater and has a permitted capacity of 8.5 MGD. The facility services the majority of Commerce Township as well as portions of White Lake Township, the Village of Wolverine Lake, West Bloomfield Township, and City of Novi. The facility, including Lystek THP, is operated by the Oakland County Water Resource Commissioner’s office (WRC) operations team. The facility previously relied on landfill disposal for solids management. Disposal costs had been increasing substantially over the last decade which led the Township to question the viability of continuing with landfill disposal.
“We’re looking forward to our first haul and we’re looking forward to never going to landfill again,” said Mary Koeger, Oakland County Water Resources Assistant Chief Engineer, Commerce Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“The overall project went smoothly from the initial discussions with the Township all the way through design and construction. The project was completed on time and on budget and is functioning well,” said Jason Mayer, Partner, Giffels Webster.
“The Lystek system fit perfectly within our wastewater treatment plant. We didn’t have to build any buildings. We had an open stall that we could fit the system right in. Working with Lystek was seamless. Any time the Board or I had questions, they were quick to respond. They were very helpful. They hit every target moving forward. Promises made, promises kept,” said Larry Gray, Commerce Township Supervisor.
This project was completed as a Progressive Design-Build. Commerce Township initially awarded Lystek a preliminary design contract in the summer of 2021 to complete the 30% design phase required for permit application to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). This design was completed in December 2021 in collaboration with the Township’s engineering firm, Giffels Webster, and Oakland County WRC. EGLE awarded permits for the project in April 2022 and Commerce Township awarded Lystek the design-build contract shortly after in May. The design-build project began in July 2022 and the system was commissioned 18 months later with WRC assuming operations in March of this year. EGLE authorized the Class A Biosolids permit in June 2024 and LysteGro® land application will begin this fall.
Lystek THP is an award-winning patented process and the only proven technology available that will produce a high-solids liquid Class A Biosolids from undigested feedstocks. The unique features of the technology and final biosolids product complemented previous capital investments and made Lystek an ideal fit for the Commerce WWTP with no major equipment decommissioned. The solution complemented the dewatering and conveyance equipment installed a decade earlier, had a footprint small enough to fit into a portion of the existing solids building, and brought new life to the facility’s liquid biosolids storage tanks.
The Township has also entered into a multi-year agreement with Lystek for comprehensive Class A LysteGro management services to offer cost certainty. The concentrated nature of the high-solids liquid Class A Biosolids extends the capacity of the existing liquid storage tanks to over one-year. The resulting operational efficiencies, alongside the enhanced biosolids quality, drive farmers’ demand for LysteGro amendments.
“We are thrilled to add another showcase facility in the State of Michigan. This project was a perfect fit with the existing infrastructure and resulted in a design-build project delivered in under two years. We are excited to work with the Township to build on their previous investments to improve the sustainability and affordability of their operations. Seeing the outcomes of this collaborative design effort, and resulting customer satisfaction, is a rewarding start to our long-term relationship,” said Sarah Mason-Renton, Business Development Manager, Lystek.
