ECUA Now Offering ‘Bloom’ Compost

May 19, 2016

Several Bratt residents are giving “Emerald Coast Bloom” compost a try…a new product from the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority.

ECUA is now creating the nutrient-rich compost at the Central Water Reclamation Facility in Cantonment using a combination of yard waste — such as leaves, grass and pine straw — and biosolids –treated sewage sludge that meets high standards.

“It does not smell. That’s always the first question” ECUA Sanitation Supervisor James Courson said as he delivered the sample bags to a group in Bratt Wednesday morning. “It’s a good quality compost, and there’s no smell even when it is wet.”

“Samples have been sent to a national compost-grading agency, and ECUA’s ‘Bloom’ compost has been certified by this agency as meriting its highest rating,” ECUA District 5 Board Member Larry Walker said.

“He (Walker) wants me to try it with my tomatoes,” Bratt resident Howard Hanks said, “planting half of them with the ECUA compost and half without.”

Some of the compost is being sold to smaller landscaping companies for their use and resale to the public. In Escambia County, Woerner Landscape offers the product to the public, including small “by the bag” quantities.

ECUA hopes to soon find a single buyer for all of the compost that they produce, according to Amanda Handrahan, ECUA recycling coordinator.

For more information, call (850) 969-6606.

Pictured top: Bratt resident Howard Hanks receives a sample of ECUA Bloom compost from Sanitation Supervisor James Courson Wednesday morning. Pictured below: Courson loads compost for James Payne. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

15 Responses to “ECUA Now Offering ‘Bloom’ Compost”

  1. Nicole Frenk on March 11th, 2023 1:17 am

    Is this product still available for purchase? And is it available to nonECUA customers? I live in Milton and am looking for 2-4 cubic yards of compost to start gardening in my backyard.

  2. Elise on May 21st, 2019 1:02 pm

    Can this be used as fill to mix with sand to promote grass to grow quickly and can we pick up on a Saturday?

  3. Rodric Hammond on July 10th, 2016 1:01 pm

    Mushroom compost can be purchased at Lowes.

  4. Bert on May 21st, 2016 10:04 am

    Isn’t ECUA a government entity? Why not use it at our local prisons that grow crops, for the county use or the dump.
    Why by it? People could mix their own human waste compost…(that could seriously open a can of worms).
    Wait, how can this not smell? Sounds like somebody thinks their stuff don’t stink. I don’t think it’s a good idea.

  5. Don on May 20th, 2016 1:37 pm

    TG “Don if you are buying any fruit or vegetables at the grocery store you are already enjoying this fertilizer.”

    well with 36 acres and orchards my family has no need for store bought items,other than staples like coffee,salt etc…and our livestock makes PLENTY of
    compostable material. not sure if produce stands are using this but I’d find out!!

  6. jeeperman on May 20th, 2016 11:31 am

    The biosolids or sludge used in the compost is NOT heat dried in a tumble dryer/oven.
    One of the benefits of adding it to the compost pile is that the composting process generates 130 to 150 degree heat. Which does what the dryer/oven does.
    And eventually when ECUA can use all of the biosolids generated by the poopoo plant, they will save over a million dollars a year in the cost of operating the dryer/oven.
    A good right up of the process can be read here:
    http://ricksblog.biz/ecua-getting-into-recycling-in-a-big-way/

    More technical than the video.

  7. Nathalie Bowers on May 20th, 2016 8:54 am

    Here is a link to a video about the compost facility that is on the ECUA website’s compost page. I think it will answer most of the questions posted here.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3bQPvVjuXc&feature=youtu.be

  8. tg on May 20th, 2016 7:20 am

    Don if you are buying any fruit or vegetables at the grocery store you are already enjoying this fertilizer.

  9. David Huie Green on May 20th, 2016 5:41 am

    REGARDING:
    “Can you get mushroom compost around here?”

    Down on Sorrento Road, west of the Blue Angel Wal-Mart on your left (south side).

    David for fried mushrooms

  10. Ren on May 19th, 2016 10:44 pm

    @citizen The sludge is put in a dryer like tumbler and is dried, killing the bacteria that makes the sludge smell. It is heated to high enough temperatures that pathogens cannot survive. It is then combined with organic waste to create the compost.

  11. Mulch yes Biosolids no on May 19th, 2016 10:09 pm

    Biosolids can have toxins such as heavy metals or anything else that went in the waste stream. Perhaps a tree farm or forest could use it. I prefer organic, mulch and dont mind manure but not the sludge in my yard or garden.Can you get mushroom compost around here?

  12. Nickname 50 on May 19th, 2016 9:25 pm

    It’s amazing how many names man can assign to excrement. I must say that
    biosolid takes the cake. No pun intended

  13. Citizen on May 19th, 2016 10:55 am

    What do you do to ensure the sewage sludge does not have human pathogens and why doesn’t it stink? What is done to sterilize it or make it high quality? I know effluent from the waste treatment plant is chlorinated, but I have been near sludge that is ghastly. I was looking for a source of mulch and compost and may consider this.

  14. Anne on May 19th, 2016 8:00 am

    Good idea and done in many other places.

    Has this product been sanitized and treated so that it will contain no seeds or sprouts that will pop up in the gardens or yards?

    What is the cost per pound of this?

    If ECUA is selling to commercial businesses will the profit to ECUA be used to improve rexycling or go to pay higher salaries to the REAL Workers?
    Hope it won’t go to pad more pockets on the ECUA board.

  15. Don on May 19th, 2016 5:53 am

    Not sure I could bring myself to eat vegetables grown in it…just the thought uugh.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News