Gardeners can’t get enough of Tacoma’s waste

The number of people flushing their toilets in Tacoma couldn’t keep up with avid gardeners this year.

Supplies of the popular “Tacoma Grow” (TAGRO) compost ran out at the TAGRO treatment facility around the end of May, said Dan Thompson, division manager for Environmental Services.

“We hit inventory zero right around Memorial Day,” he said.

Since then, the department has been waiting for supplies to replenish. That means waiting for enough people to flush.

TAGRO is made through a biosolids recycling program. It is a byproduct of wastewater treatment. The water is highly pasteurized and treated and then blended with sawdust and bark to make potting soil and other soil amendments. The city makes about four products out of the material, which is sold in bulk at the facility and stores. The program helps keep wastewater treatment rates low, Thompson said.

TAGRO is still available at retail outlets, Thompson said.

It’s a problem other companies are having as well, Thompson said.

“Everybody who makes soil amendments is having similar problems,” he explained. The unusually warm weather has been terrific for gardening, Thompson continued.

The idea is to try and have inventory built up in March for large sales in April and May.

“Boy, they went through the roof this year because of the weather,” he said.

The U.S. Open is expected to help with replenishing supplies. About a million gallons of additional waste was flowing in per day during the four-day tournament at Chambers Bay, Thompson said.

“That will help,” he said. “We’ll see that increase in about 20 days; it takes that long to go through the system.”

Thompson expects the compost to begin piling up again after July 4.