Spring in Bloom: Making fertilizer from every flush in the DC region

From flush to fertilizer: DC water operation turns your brown into green

What if we told you that every time you answer nature’s call, your contribution is being converted into some of the most efficient fertilizer on the market?

In a special Earth Month episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP’s Matt Kaufax went to Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant in Southwest D.C. to find out more about a special compound called “Bloom.”

Bloom is what’s known as a “Class A Exceptional Quality” biosolids, meaning it meets the highest quality EPA standards for wastewater treatment byproducts.

It’s a slow-release fertilizer and has drought-resistant qualities, and they’ve been making it for about 10 years now at Blue Plains’ Resource Recovery System.

During his tour of the Blue Plains facility, Matt learned more about the process of turning 320 million daily gallons of sewage sludge into 150,000+ tons of fertilizer.

Spoiler alert: It gets a little smelly.

If you’re interested in learning more about Bloom, or even purchasing it for your own use, head to the Bloom website.

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