Biosolids in B.C.
Last updated on August 21, 2024On this page
What are biosolids?
Biosolids are the stabilized products that are recovered at the end of the wastewater treatment process.
Biosolids are rich in nutrients that may be beneficially used to improve soil conditions and provide nutrition for plants. Because of the biological components of biosolids, proper management is important to control the impact on the environment and human health.
In B.C., the Organic Matter Recycling Regulation sets requirements for the production of high-quality biosolids and subsequent beneficial use in land application and composting.
For questions or concerns regarding the current land application season, please email ENV.OMRR.Reg.Reviews@gov.bc.ca.
Related resources
Use these resources to learn more about biosolids:
- Biosolids Infographic (PDF, 1.5MB)
- Biosolids: Alternative Management Options (PDF, 149KB)
- Soil Amendment and Fertilizer Comparison (PDF, 343KB)
- Biosolids Regulatory Framework (PDF, 228KB)
Technical working groups
A technical working group is a collection of experts brought together to exchange information and develop recommendations on a specific topic.
- composting and biosolids production, and
- waste management practices.
2015 Technical working group
In response to questions about the land application of biosolids, the B.C. government formed a technical working group in 2015 to conduct a scientific review of biosolids.
The scientific review includes 2 key components:
- A review of scientific and academic literature on biosolids land applications
- A sampling project for both soils and biosolids
The literature review and technical reports are available:
- Biosolids Literature Review Covering Memorandum: June 6, 2016 (PDF)
- Literature Review of Risks of Using Biosolids and Compost from Biosolids with Relevance to the Nicola Valley in B.C. (PDF, 8.1MB)
- Soil Sampling Report (October 2016) (PDF, 2.6MB)
- Biosolids Sampling Report (January 2019) (PDF, 2.5MB)
2022 Technical working group
A new technical working group was formed in the fall of 2022 and met over the course of a year until the fall of 2023. The 2022 technical working group met to identify and share new scientific information on biosolids and compost which may have emerged since the 2015 technical working group.
The B.C. government released a report in 2024 that summarizes discussions and key messages from the 2022 technical working group.
Sites of interest
Chemicals Management Plan Wastewater Monitoring Program
The Government of Canada administers a wastewater monitoring program to gather information from representative municipal wastewater treatment plants across Canada.
The purpose of the monitoring program is to determine:
- the levels of selected chemical substances entering these treatment plants
- the fate of these substances through typical treatment processes
- the levels of these substances being discharged in effluents and solids residuals including biosolids
View the data from the Chemicals Management Plan Wastewater Monitoring Program.
This monitoring program has been used in research including the following peer reviewed publications:
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Canadian municipal wastewater and biosolids: Recent patterns and time trends 2009 to 2021
-
How many microplastic particles are present in Canadian biosolids?
Turtle Valley Biosolid Land Application
To inform the public about biosolids, the B.C. government has provided information based on received questions. Visit the Turtle Valley Biosolid Land Application site for more information.