By Staff Saturday, April 14, 2007 Daily Courier
If anybody in Vernon wants to raise a stink about the North Okanagan‘s new Ogogrow plant, they‘ll be talking to officials in Kelowna. The plant, which sees human waste residue added to wood chips to produce a soil booster, has been in operation southwest of Bench Row and Commonage Roads since last summer. But a formal joint operating agreement between the cities of Vernon and Kelowna is just now being signed. On Monday, Kelowna city council will be asked to approve the 13-page document, which has been vetted by lawyers for both cities. “The new site is expected to attract interest from other municipalities across Canada for this innovative and sustainable project,” Mark Watt, Kelowna‘s environment solid waste manager, writes in a report to council. The two cities agreed in 2004 to jointly operate the Ogogrow-making plant, formally known as the Regional Biosolids Composting Facility. It was built for $7.8 million and has a projected operational lifespan of five to eight years, with future expansion possible.
Two-thirds of the plant‘s operating costs are covered by Kelowna and one-third by Vernon, recognizing the different size of the cities. The agreement stipulates the plant will be managed and operated by Kelowna, tasks which include fielding any “inquiries/complaints received from the general public regarding operation of the facility.” Every day, trucks from the sewage treatment plants in Vernon and Kelowna bring “dewatered biosolids” to the facility. They‘re mixed with wood chips or hog fuel and the decomposing piles heat up, often exceeding 60 C. The temperature kills pathogens, making the material safe to handle. Piles are composted for up to three months, taking on a dark colour and earthy smell. The material is then screened for excess wood waste, tested for things such as pathogens, nutrient value and moisture, and sold for use as top dressing and soil amendments. “Safe, effective and environmentally friendly, it‘s ideal for use in landscaping, orchards, vegetable gardens and potting soil,” according to the City of Kelowna‘s website. In 2005, the city sold 12,250 cubic yards of Ogogrow for $142,000.
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