A few years ago, in the early days of Bloom, our product was sometimes hard to find, shared by word of mouth from master gardeners or skilled growers at nurseries or farms.                           

No more.                           

In the past few months the use of Bloom has quite literally grown (dare we say mushroomed - as it is used to grow culinary mushrooms, too!) to the point that we are now seeing more and more customers using it in different ways and all getting fantastic results.                           

And we’re seeing Bloom used at so many locations that we’re pretty sure that Bloom usage this year will set a record and exceed anything we’ve ever seen before.                           

In fact we’re quite excited that Bloom is being used in the new Frederick Douglas Bridge project, as part of the planting on the east side of the Anacostia River.                           

Now Bloom, if you haven’t heard, is DC Water’s own soil conditioner made from EPA-certified Class A Exceptional Quality biosolids at Blue Plains. 

                          

Although lots of people know that Blue Plains is the world’s largest advanced wastewater plant, not everyone may be aware that we’re producing these biosolids right alongside our operation that treats wastewater.                           

The innovative technology behind Bloom – and the many benefits – were showcased in a story that aired last night on NPR’s Marketplace.

Take a look at our latest testimonials page and you will the wide range of thumbs up we’re seeing – endorsements from the University of Maryland, the District government, landscapers, golf courses and more.                           

In short, the grass is greener when grown with Bloom, the flowers seem brighter and more vibrant (maybe that’s just us) and most importantly the product is affordable, effective and easy to use.

                          
For those who aren’t familiar, here is a quick summary of what Bloom is and how Bloom works its magic.                           

Compared to some soil additives or fertilizers, Bloom provides slow-release nutrients and organic matter that can lead to greater crop yields and better drought resistance. So, it works very well for farmers who may be using it across hundreds of acres.                           

But it also can be effectively used by people who want to tend their backyard gardens or keep their lawn rich and green – not to mention the many urban residents who might only have a small plot in the tree box outside their home or a mini balcony garden.                           

One of the ways in which we’ve seen Bloom grow so well in the District and surrounding areas is that users have purchased it to revitalize and restore urban soils that may be heavy on clay and light on nutrients.                           

Bloom will help bring that soil back to life and bring community gardens and other shared resources back to health.                           

Bloom has several different products registered in the DMV area, good for a variety of applications.                           

We have fresh Bloom, which is your pure biosolids product, sold in bulk to farmers, contractors and other businesses.                           

We sell ‘Cured Bloom,’ similar but has been dried to a consistency of potting soil, making it easy to handle and can easily be purchased in bags at retailers around the DC area.                           

We also sell a ‘Sandy Blend,’ which is an all-purpose, high performing blend for topdressing lawns and more, sold in bulk from resellers and from Blue Plains directly.                           

Finally, we sell a ‘Woody Blend’ which is 30% Fresh Bloom and 70% hardwood fines and which you can use as you would Leafgro or other compost.                           

If you’re interested, you can take a look at the various types of Bloom that we sell here.                           

Best of all – for our customers at least – Bloom is going to save them money. How?                            

Because in the years since DC Water has begun creating Bloom we’ve actually been able to avoid many of the costs that we previously had to pass on to our water customers such as hauling and chemicals.                           

Those costs are now avoided and instead this product that once was considered a liability and a cost and a wasted asset is now a valuable resource that’s enriching gardens.                           
In the process, DC Water is saving energy and reducing our carbon footprint.                           

Our biosolids are the product of an intensive and technologically advanced process that uses high heat, pressure, and biological processes to remove pathogens found in wastewater and convert carbon to digester gas.                           

And if you’re interested in getting some, check here to see all the locations where it is sold or come see our website to learn more about it for yourself at bloomsoil.com.