City of Fresno wastewater treatment plant — Photo: City of Fresno Department of Public Utilities
Fresno Council Approves $2.8 Million More for Biosolids Disposal Contract
Fresno City Council approved spending an additional $2.8 million on a contract with Holloway Environmental Solutions to haul and dispose of wastewater treatment byproducts, bringing the total value of the agreement to $9.2 million.
The November 2, 2023 vote amended an existing contract that began in January 2019. The city’s Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility generates biosolids — treated sewage sludge — every day as part of processing Fresno’s wastewater.
Holloway Environmental Solutions transports the material to be used for mine reclamation and soil amendment. City staff described biosolids disposal as “a critical step in the wastewater treatment process.”
The facility operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Breakdown
- The Council increased the not-to-exceed amount on the Holloway Environmental Solutions contract by $2,826,866.69
- Total contract value is now $9,198,866.69, up from the original $6,372,000 authorized in January 2019
- The contract covers transporting biosolids from Fresno’s wastewater plant for reuse in mine reclamation and as soil amendment
- Biosolids are the treated sewage sludge left over after wastewater treatment
What This Means for You
The city’s wastewater plant operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and biosolids disposal is described by city staff as a critical step in the wastewater treatment process. This Council vote authorized spending to continue that disposal service.
What to Watch
This contract has grown by 44% since it started in 2019 — from $6.4 million to $9.2 million in under five years. The city didn’t break down what drove that increase in the available material: whether it’s higher volumes of biosolids, higher per-ton disposal costs, longer transport distances, or something else entirely. That matters, because if the underlying cost-per-unit is climbing, this won’t be the last time the Council is asked to add money to this contract.
The material also doesn’t state whether the city sought competing bids before amending this agreement, or whether Holloway Environmental Solutions is the only company willing to take Fresno’s biosolids at any price. If there’s no real competition for this work, the city has limited leverage to question the cost — and ratepayers absorb whatever the number turns out to be.
