A glance behind and a look ahead: history and future of a regional biosolids authority

Regional utility, water or wastewater partnerships have existed for many years with varying degrees of success. In the early 2000's, leaders from two west Michigan communities came together with the idea of forming a regional biosolids program. Drivers for this effort primarily included increasing costs of existing programs, loss of land application sites, and age/condition of existing facilities. A project team was formed, a consultant was hired, and by 2004 the Cities of Grand Rapids and Wyoming formally signed the Articles of Incorporation forming the Grand Valley Regional Biosolids Authority (GVRBA). In 2009, a regional dewatering facility became operational. The economic downturn of 2007–2011 resulted in significant deviance from projected volume and costs, yet each community remains committed to the GVRBA and has recently begun incorporating the concept of sustainability into the program. The history, key drivers, benefits, disadvantages, and future of the GVRBA are further explored in this paper.