Deadline: 22-Oct-2025
The Water Research Foundation (WRF) has announced a new funding opportunity titled Comprehensive Evaluation of Biosolids Drying Technologies (RFP 5370).
This project seeks proposals that will deliver a structured, data-driven framework for assessing both conventional and emerging biosolids drying technologies. Applicants are eligible to request up to $200,000 in funding.
Biosolids management has become a pressing issue for wastewater utilities, as rising disposal costs, limited land availability, and increasing regulatory pressure make conventional approaches more difficult to sustain. Land application, a common strategy for beneficial use, faces growing restrictions due to emerging regulations on PFAS at both federal and state levels. Thermal drying offers an alternative pathway by reducing the volume of biosolids and creating additional options for beneficial use or disposal. However, traditional drying systems remain costly, energy-intensive, and complex, making them challenging for many utilities to adopt.
In response, a range of new technologies has emerged. These include biodryers, thin-film dryers, microwave dryers, solar drying systems, and advanced methods such as mechanical vapor recompression, vacuum drying, electro-osmotic drying, and acoustic dehydration. At the same time, conventional systems like belt dryers, rotary drum dryers, and fluidized bed dryers have been adapted to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs. Despite these innovations, utilities still lack a comprehensive comparison of how different drying methods perform under real-world conditions, particularly in relation to upstream treatment processes and the fate of PFAS.
The funded research will focus on developing a classification framework that utilities can use to compare technologies across critical factors such as energy consumption, operating costs, capital investment, product quality, and marketability of end products. It will also explore the readiness of each technology, assess safety and environmental performance, and examine how each method aligns with current and anticipated regulations. Importantly, the project will evaluate how drying systems influence PFAS behavior and the effectiveness of complementary treatment processes for managing off-gases.
Expected deliverables include a comprehensive final report, fact sheets, technology summaries, and a flexible tool that enables utilities to compare drying systems based on their priorities. In addition, the research will generate techno-economic assessments (TEAs) and greenhouse gas emissions models to guide decision-making. The project may also include in-depth case studies of the most promising technologies, providing practical insights for adoption and implementation.
Running over 18 months, this project represents an important step toward supporting wastewater utilities in choosing effective, cost-efficient, and sustainable biosolids drying solutions. By bridging existing knowledge gaps, it will help the sector adapt to tightening regulatory and environmental challenges while identifying innovative approaches that can ensure long-term resilience in solids management.
For more information, visit WRF.
