Coliban Water has increased its creation of biosolids – the end product of the wastewater treatment process – with the construction of seven new drying beds at its Bendigo water reclamation plant.

More than 200 tonnes of the material was removed from lagoons in Heathcote before being transported to the Bendigo site for drying. 

It is then bought by a third party distributor that sells the fertiliser to farms in Dingee, Newstead and Serpentine.

Coliban assets and operations manager Steve Dunlop said the project was part of routine maintenance and constituted an effort to increase recycling of its resources.

“We recognise the environmental value in reusing resources,” he said, explaining the water that passed through his authority’s site was also put back into the environment.  

“Following treatment at our Bendigo plant, water is released back into the environment, used for on-site irrigation or, after further treatment at our Recycled Water Factory, used for irrigating Bendigo’s parks, public gardens, sporting grounds and ovals.”

The Australian and New Zealand Biosolids Partnership names landfill, composting, road base and bio-fuel as possible reuses of the type of recycled matter created at Coliban.