Austin, Texas
Hornsby Bend is nationally recognized for its bird-watching and recycling programs.
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The Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant and Bird Observatory is located on a 1200-acre
site that stretches along 3.5 miles of the Colorado River, approximately eight miles east of
downtown Austin. The plant has grown into a nationally recognized and award winning biosolids
recycling facility and is the recipient of a first-place award by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) for its recycling program. The plant was established in the 1950’s and uses a series
of stabilization ponds to treat wastewater sludge from the City of Austin’s wastewater plants. The
treated sludge is recycled into a stable organic product marketed
Dillo Dirt in final stage
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under the trade name "Dillo Dirt™" that
can be used safely as a fertilizer for City park facilities and sold to the general public as an EPA-certified
soil conditioner. The bio-treatment processes used by the plant combine with a diversity of habitat on the
site to produce a unique ecology that attracts a wide diversity of birds and other wildlife.
The site is nationally known as one of the best places in Texas for bird-watching. The Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management
Plant site is also home to the City of Austin Water Utility’s Center for Environmental Research (CER). The
City of Austin is using most of the $32 million in stimulus money it received from the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to improve sustainability at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant.
One of the ARRA-funded sustainability improvements at the plant is a new 15‑acre reinforced concrete
pad to serve as a drying bed facility for composting wastewater treatment sludge into “Dillo Dirt™.”
Vickrey & Associates (V&A) designed the drainage improvements for the composting pad which is located
north of the existing facility in an existing undeveloped but cultivated field. The drainage for the new
composting pad is contained in 7‑acres of concrete storm water storage areas and
Storage Area 3 with runoff from rain event
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transported approximately 1500 feet south to an existing pond via an existing lift station. V&A’s design
for the stormwater facility met the client requirements of complete containment of the City of Austin 100‑year
storm event as well as specialized outlet structure controls to allow isolation of the drainage area runoff
volumes and to provide screening capabilities to prevent damage to pumps located downstream of the detention
facility. V&A was also responsible for obtaining right of entry to private properties and performing Texas
One Call for utility locates for survey purposes.
