This report presents an analysis of the cost of disposing of municipal wastewater treatment sludge on land by existing operations. It is based on an on-site survey of 24 communities with small to medium-sized plants, i.e., all with throughputs of less than 100 million gallons per day (MGD). The analysis differs from other studies in that much of the available literature has been developed for large communities with sizable quantities of sludge. For these communities, landspreading costs are considerably higher than for smaller communities due to longer haul distance, increased capital requirements, and higher labor rates. The 24 city survey was thus designed to provide reliable cost information for small communities interested in landspreading wastewater treatment sludge on land. However, it should be noted that the cost of new operations may be somewhat higher due to increased cost of equipment.

On cover: A current report on solid waste management. Issued October 1977.