Tulare Lake Compost (TLC) is a state-of-the-art, 175-acre composting facility located near Kettleman City in Kings County, California. At the facility, an eco-friendly process is used to combine agricultural and green waste from the Central Valley with biosolids from Los Angeles County to create an optimal mixture for composting. TLC employs the covered aerated static pile (ASP) composting process in which air is forced through piles of compost mixture to provide oxygen for microbial decomposition. Engineered fabric covers or a biofilter is placed over the composting piles to capture and reduce odors and organic emissions from the piles.

Composting produces a stabilized, humus-like soil conditioner that, when incorporated into farm land in the San Joaquin Valley, improves water retention, nutrient conditions, and agricultural productivity. Greater water retention translates into reduced irrigation demand, conserving California’s precious water supply. The finished product complies with EPA Part 503 standards for Class A Exceptional Quality compost and can be used for vegetable gardening and landscaping, as well as commercial agriculture.

The facility currently has the capacity to convert up to 100,000 wet tons per year (wtpy) of anaerobically digested and dewatered biosolids into valuable, nutrient rich, Class A Exceptional Quality compost. TLC is owned and operated by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts as part of their diversified biosolids management program.

In 2006, approximately 14,600 acres of land was purchased near Kettleman City. 175-acres are reserved for the compost facility, while the majority of the land was then leased to a farmer to use the Class A Exceptional Quality Compost for growing crops, enhancing pasture production for livestock, and reclaiming depleted soil. The Kings County Board of Supervisors certified the Environmental Impact Report and authorized a conditional use permit for TLC in 2004. The maximum permitted operational capacity for TLC is 500,000 wet tons per year (wtpy) of biosolids and 400,000 wtpy of agricultural and green waste. TLC is committed to converting waste into renewable products, while conserving natural resources.