SEWAGE SLUDGE COMPOSTING IN SMALL TOWNS 

 by 

 G. M. Leighton, R. D. Harter and G. R. Crombie* 



INTRODUCTION 



Although waste-water treatment is a desirable method of protecting 

 the environment, satisfactory disposal of the resultant sewage sludge has 

 presented problems. Conventional solutions such as landfill, incinera- 

 tion, or dumping into water bodies often exchange one problem for another. 

 Contamination of air, water, or land are frequent side effects of such 

 activities. In addition, aesthetic questions can arise, centering around 

 such issues as odor and "visual pollution." An increasingly important 

 factor is economic; as energy costs rise, the costs for handling and 

 transportation of sewage sludge rise as well. 



Although New Hampshire towns produce relatively small quantities of 

 sludge compared to large cities of the United States, disposal neverthe- 

 less presents significant problems to many communities. Several imagina- 

 tive techniques for disposal of sewage sludge are being developed, but 

 most are geared toward large quantities of sludge. Consequently, they are 

 too expensive for use by small towns, many of which produce less sludge in 

 a year than a medium-sized city produces in a day. Considering the amounts 

 of sludge produced by most New Hampshire towns and the relatively large 

 areas of undeveloped land in the state, land disposal of the sludge is an 

 attractive alternative. 



*Ms. Leighton is a Research Assistant, Harter is Associate Professor of Soil 

 Chemistry, Institute of Natural and Environmental Resources, University of 

 New Hampshire, and Crombie is Director of Public Works, Town of Durham. 



