IIRC I believe this is mentioned in Amy Stewarts book "The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms".

Here is a link that might be useful: The Earth Moved

I've worked on sewage sludge/biosolids remediation projects involving worms, and yes, the dried sludge cake can be processed by worms. The challenge is not in getting the worms to cooperate, but in 1) understanding/working within regulation of any soil ammendment generated form biosolids, and 2) overcoming public perception that composted/vermicomposted biosolids are harmful/disgusting/unhealthy. Both are significant challenges.

I'd be happy to talk with you about this in greater detail if you'd like to email me directly!

Kelly S

Thanks for the follow up. I am new to my profession and am intregued by the science of it. To be able to take a nuisence waste and turn it back to nature effevtively is quite gratifing. I have alot to learn and am egar to do so. I am always looking for ways to be more efficient and environmentally friendly. Here at my waste water treatment plant we do many things to be friendly. We heat the aeribic digester with its self generated methane, we dry with sun and wind, all my process is microbiological zooglial masses. To add worms to the end product (stable sludge) and further compost it to somthing less offensive and otherwise useable would be a great thing. ANyone's help would be appreciated. Figure it cost's me $39.00 per ton to get rid of still I would like to give it away or sell it to offset the cost trickling down to the public. We are a municipality so we represent the people. Even though the office don't take it seriously I spend like it is my own money within reason. Now that I rambled on the bottom line is still the creation of a useable compost and can worms create it from stabilized human waste that is real high in nitrogen and metals?

Have you considered using BSF larvae instead? I know they are using it to treat hog waste here in NC. Can't imagine humanure is much different.

FWIW, I used to work next to the solids tank at our local wastewater treatment plant. They had some extra lab space and rented it out rather cheaply. Smelled awful but those were some well appointed labs ...

I know this is an old message but I've been reading a lot about this subject and would like to comment. For human, dog, cat or any other meat eater waste, the preferrable method is methane digestion. A small municipality could implement this rather inexpensively and use the bi-products for heating, fuel and fertilizer. Many farmers are getting into the act of using them and the info on how to buy or build one is readily available on the internet. The methane can be used in altered city vehicles or for heating municipal buildings. The remaining sludge can be used in city parks and lawns for fertilizer.

Worms are better for composting manure from herbivores, dead leaves, rotting veges & fruit(no citrus), newspaper and cardboard. Oh, and coffee grounds, coffee filters and tea bags can also be fed to worms.

Hi! Kelly S: Glad to see you still check in now and then. I hope you and the family are doing well and the extended members also.

larry

Hi tezved: In several of C Morgans books and K.S's writings on vermiculture sludge is mentioned as a food source/suplement. I personally have never had acess to it. It is supposedly a good food for worm biomass production if used as a food,suplement. To get rid of huge amounts of it you would need a huge biomass of worms. However starting small as an experiment and learning tool a small worm bin/bed will work. When you have mastered the required techniques needed to be sucessful expand and use the profits of sales of the castings and excess worms to off set expenses.

Take K.S up on her offer for information.

larry