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Water Practice & Technology © IWA Publishing 2007  |  doi10.2166/wpt.2007.021

Use of sludge on arable land for food production - a current project at some Swedish wastewater treatment plants (The ReVAQ-project)

Peter Hugmark¹

The project is driven by eight wastewater treatment plants (wtp:s) and lead by a governing group with representatives from the Farmers Association, Food Industry, Perishables Trade, the Swedish Nature Conservation Society, Swedish Water and the participating wtp:s. An independent inspector is engaged to check that the wtp:s really do what they have undertaken. The principal aim of the project is to investigate if sludge from municipality wtp:s can be so clean of pollutants with regard to possible environmental disturbances that it can be used on arable land for food production in the long run. Another important aim, and at the same time a very important goal, is to make a solid and trusting co-operation between the participating interests. So far the experiences from the project are very good. The work in the governing group appears to function very well and in a trustful way. The wtp:s taking part in the project have so far passed the inspections well enough to be approved for continuous participation. And not to forget, the sludge quality has gone on to improve.

Keywords: Sludge, sludge use, sludge quality, sustainability

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