Resource Recovery South Plant demonstration projects

Groco demonstration garden | Seattle University community partnership farm | Research and reports | Awards | Resources | Volunteer

Groco demonstration garden

Demonstrating the beauty, effectiveness and safety of using recycled nutrients on your garden.

Currently the beds are amended with GroCo compost made with Loop, Cedar Grove Compost, and organic fertilizer. Beds are planted with a variety of flowers, food crops, annuals and perennials.

Seattle University community partnership farm

King County, Seattle University and the Salvation Army Renton Food Bank have partnered on a 5-year community farm project located on one acre of the South Treatment Plant facility in Renton, WA.

This project was designed and permitted to benefit the water utility and the public by:

• Demonstrating the use of GroCo compost made with Loop® biosolids and increasing public understanding of the benefits of nutrient recycling.
• Providing an active learning site for the Seattle University Environmental Studies Urban Agriculture students.
• Creating a locally grown supply of fresh produce for the Renton Food Bank.
• Providing community education opportunities to expand knowledge of local water and food system challenges and solutions.
• Demonstrating the benefits of diversified and collaborative urban land use and the potential for material and resource sharing and conservation. Since start up in 2011, large quantities of lansdscaping waste and surplus building materials have been repurposed and recycled on site; reducing transportation and dispsoal costs to the utility and providing a cost effective source of materials and supplies for the farm.

Back to top of page.

Research and reports

• 2011 Annual Report, Seattle University Sustainable Urban Agriculture Project at the King County South Wastewater Treatment Plant (PDF, 980KB)
• Growth and Physiology of Horticultural Crops Irrigated with Municipal Reclaimed Water in King County, Washington, July 2010 (PDF)
• Research to demonstrate the safety of reclaimed water for edible food crops, September 16, 2009 (PDF, 109KB)
• Growth and Physiology of Horticultural Crops Irrigated with Reclaimed Water, September 14, 2009 (PDF, 900KB)  

Awards

• The reclaimed water and biosolids garden in 2009 won the Golden Gourd, NBMA's Pride in Product Award for 2009! (external link)

Resources

• Seattle University urban farm (external page)
• Northwest Biosolids Management Association (external page)
• Biosolids
• Reclaimed Water 

Back to top of page.

Volunteer

• Starting May 5th there will be volunteer work parties from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month. Each work party will incorporate season appropriate education content. Contact Casey Plank for information and directions. Children are welcome with parent/guardian present.
• Service learning projects for schools and organizations can be scheduled between March and November.
• If you are an individual or small group interested in volunteering on a regular basis please contact Casey Plank at 206-263-6028 or casey.plank@kingcounty.gov.

Back to top of page.