Published on AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin (http://austintexas.gov)

Dillo Dirt

Each year, thousands of tons of biosolids are anaerobically digested and composted with yard trimmings into an EPA-certified soil conditioner called Dillo Dirt. This product is donated to landscape public places and sold to commercial vendors for sale.

"Dillo Dirt™" is a compost made by the City of Austin since 1989. If you know Austin, you will not be surprised to learn that it was the first program of its kind in the state and one of the oldest in the nation. All yard trimmings collected curbside across the City as well as some of our treated sewage sludge are combined and composted to create Dillo Dirt™. The heat generated in composting (130 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit) is sufficient to virtually eliminate human and plant pathogens. After active composting for over a month, our compost is "cured" for several months, then screened to produce finished Dillo Dirt™.

Dillo Dirt™ easily meets all Texas and EPA requirements for "unrestricted" use, which even includes vegetable gardens, if you desire. Like many other composts, Dillo Dirt™ has many benefits to the soil and plants. Composts add to the organic matter in the soil, reducing watering. Organic matter feeds the microbes in the soil as well as plants, making a more healthy environment. Dillo Dirt™ is made from totally recycled materials, and this recycling is less expensive to citizens than landfilling these materials.

Curious about Dillo Dirt™? Learn what it's made of, and how to use it. Find our more about the treatment process.

Menu Links: 
Dillo Dirt Uses and Application Rates [1]
Dillo Dirt Vendor Information [3]
Dillo Dirt FAQs [5]
Custom Menu: 
Yes
Resident Tag: 
Gardening and Landscaping [11]
City Programs and Initiatives [12]
City Accomplishments [13]
Conservation and Recycling [14]
Environment Tag: 
Resources [15]
Recycling [16]
Composting [17]
Programs [18]
Conservation [19]
Additional Menu Links: 
Dillo Dirt Treatment Process [20]
Toxicological Evaluation of Compost and Digested Sludge [6]
Feature Text: 
Source URL (retrieved on Jun. 19, 2013): http://austintexas.gov/dillodirt

Links:
[1] http://austintexas.gov/department/dillo-dirt-uses-and-application-rates
[2] https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/water/weirs/index.cfm?fuseaction=report.publicDDVendor
[3] http://austintexas.gov/department/dillo-dirt-vendor-information
[4] http://austintexas.gov/department/dillo-dirt-treatment-process-0
[5] http://austintexas.gov/department/frequently-asked-questions-about-dillo-dirt
[6] http://austintexas.gov/department/results-toxicological-evaluation-compost-and-digested-sludge
[7] http://austintexas.gov/department/center-environmental-research
[8] http://austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Water/DilloDirt/hornsbybendbro.pdf
[9] http://austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Water/DilloDirt/hornsbybendbrochurespanish.pdf
[10] http://www.hornsbybend.org/
[11] http://austintexas.gov/resident/gardening-and-landscaping
[12] http://austintexas.gov/resident/city-programs-and-initiatives
[13] http://austintexas.gov/resident/city-accomplishments
[14] http://austintexas.gov/resident/conservation-and-recycling
[15] http://austintexas.gov/environment/resources
[16] http://austintexas.gov/environment/recycling
[17] http://austintexas.gov/environment/composting
[18] http://austintexas.gov/environment/programs
[19] http://austintexas.gov/environment/conservation
[20] http://austintexas.gov/department/dillo-dirt-treatment-process