Roselle to look into new treatment for wastewater

When it comes to wastewater treatment, Roselle isn't afraid to experiment.

Roselle village officials plan to extended a pilot study for new technology that treats wastewater. The village board gave the initial nod of approval Monday and plans to vote on it Sept. 10.

If study results turn out as well as expected, Roselle could become one of the first few communities in the nation to use this technology. While the technology is new to the U.S. market, it has been used in Europe for about a decade.

"This will save us a lot of money," Trustee Richard Rhode said. "I think we should go forward with this."

Developed in Israel, the technology involves a biological process that that promises to consume all solids in the waste stream. The process eliminates all costs associated with sludge removal.

Presently, the village spends roughly $100,000 annually to haul sludge to a place near Rockford. It also takes up very little space and allows the municipality to utilize its existing tanks.

The village board initially approved the pilot study in May at a cost of $45,000. Aquarius Technologies, which has patented the technology, has installed a self-contained mini treatment plant that has been operating out of Roselle's Devlin Plant since then.

Roselle Public Works Director Rob Burns is optimistic about the pilot study outcome, but requested the extension because he believes the village does not have enough data to satisfy the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which must approve the process.

It will cost another $60,000 to complete the study. Even if the village decides against the new process, the collected data will aid the village in preparing for alternative upgrades to the Devlin plant.

"We are collecting data that will be beneficial to us regardless of the outcome," Burns said. "None of this data will be wasted."

If the village board decides to adopt the new technology, it would cost roughly $12 million. But upgrading wastewater treatment plants or building new ones could cost tens of millions. With the extension, the pilot study should be complete by March.