SLUDGE VICTIMS

But it will also cost a bit more to add a new treatment tank which would use heat to kill the pathogen, Myers said.

'Turning the sludge into a "Class A" under guidelines set up by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would cost about $300,000 more than the utility now pays for the "Class B" sewage it is trucking to Grand Bay.

It costs the utility about $1.3 million right now to truck 100,000 gallons of sludge per day to Grand Bay. The sludge is spread on some 4,000 acres of farmland there.

"We would be interested in getting to break-even," Nix said. Board members agreed they'd be more willing to upgrade the treatment process if they could show customers a cost savings by breaking even or turning a profit.

Board Member Pamela Millsaps suggested the board may even consider doing what some other cities are doing - buying its own hay or sod farm. Then it would have a place to spray the sludge and could sell the hay or sod to pay for the cost of treatment.

By treating the sludge further, removing pathogens like e-coli, chloroform and salmonella, the utility's options increase dramatically, though, Myers said. He said he is working with the Agricultural Extension Office at Auburn University to compile a list of potential uses for the "Class A" sludge. Those customers could include large horticultural operations, sod farms and golf courses, he said.

Depending on the customer base, the board may want to consider going that extra step, like the city of Milwaukee does, turning the waste into pellets, which it sells to the public as a soil conditioner, Myers said.