Construction to Begin on New California Biosolids Recycling Plant; Environmental Focus, New Technology, Good Neighbor Design a 'First for State'

    HOUSTON, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Synagro Technologies, Inc.
 (Nasdaq:   SYGR), a full service provider of water and wastewater residuals
 management services, announced today that it has received a "Notice to
 Proceed" to begin construction of a state-of-the-art biosolids heat drying and
 pelletization facility for the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District
 (District) which is expected to be completed sometime in mid 2004.
     The facility, which will be built at the District's Wastewater Treatment
 Plant in Elk Grove, will process biosolids within a contained building to
 reduce odors.  Further, the facility will treat air emissions from the plant
 using advanced state-of-the-art technology to help continue the "good
 neighbor" relationship between the District and surrounding residents.
     "This facility is the first of its kind in the State of California and
 incorporates the most environmentally and technically advanced processing
 systems available," according to Ruben Robles, Biosolids Program Manager.
     "Our environment and our community will benefit once this facility is
 completed and begins serving the residents of Sacramento County," stated
 Wendell Kido, District Manager.  "The project design will enable this advanced
 treatment facility to be operated while having minimal impact on the
 neighborhood and allow us to deliver treatment services at a reasonable cost
 to the community," said Kido.
     The state-of-the-art technology also provides another environmentally
 friendly benefit by recycling the city's wastewater residuals into an
 "exceptional quality" Class A organic fertilizer product that can be sold for
 use on commercial and residential lawns and gardens.
     Approximately 20 dry tons of Class A biosolids will be produced daily at
 the Sacramento Recycling facility -- about 7,500 tons a year -- which will be
 marketed by Synagro and distributed for commercial and residential use under
 the "Granulite" brand name.  Synagro currently markets over 150,000 tons of
 Class A (Exceptional Quality or EQ) pelletized biosolids annually.
     "This will be a world-class heat drying facility and excellent example of
 how public-private partnerships can be formed to address municipal biosolids
 management needs, environmental challenges and local community concerns,"
 stated Ross M. Patten, Synagro's Chairman and CEO.
     The District entered into a public/private partnership last year with an
 industry team, led by Synagro Technologies, Inc., signing a twenty year
 contract to design, finance, build and operate a 7,500 dry ton/year biosolids,
 dewatering and heat drying facility capable of providing local residents with
 a long-term, environmentally friendly solution to their waste management
 needs.
     Synagro is teamed with Andritz-Ruthner, Inc., Black & Veatch, and The
 Whiting Turner Contracting Company for the design and construction of the
 facility.  The plant will incorporate the Andritz Drum Drying System with its
 innovative processing features.  Andritz-Ruthner is the industry leader in
 heat drying/pelletization technology, with over 55 facilities worldwide.
 Design and local planning expertise is being provided by Black & Veatch, Inc.
 and Whiting Turner will construct the facility.
     "We are looking forward to beginning this benchmark project in
 California," said Patten.
     Synagro received all of the permits required for the project on schedule
 prompting issuance of the official "Notice to Proceed" from the Sacramento
 Regional County Sanitation District on July 18, 2003.  The contract allows 548
 days for construction, start-up and acceptance testing by the District, with a
 Scheduled Acceptance Date of January 16, 2005, but an early completion in 2004
 is expected.
     Synagro is the largest national company focused on water and wastewater
 residuals management services in the United States, serving over 1,000
 municipal and industrial water and wastewater generators in 35 states and the
 District of Columbia.  The Houston-based company offers a range of water and
 wastewater residuals management services focusing on the beneficial reuse of
 organic, nonhazardous residuals during the water and wastewater treatment
 process, including the treatment and conversion of sewage sludge into
 biosolids.
     Synagro's residuals management services include collection and
 transportation, land application, thermal drying and pelletization,
 incineration, composting, alkaline stabilization, dewatering, cleanout
 services, wastewater treatment plant operations and maintenance, product
 marketing, record keeping and regulatory reporting services.
     This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, within the
 meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve
 known and unknown risks, uncertainties or other factors not under the
 Company's control, which may cause the actual results, performance or
 achievement of the Company to be materially different from the results,
 performance or other expectations implied by these forward-looking statements.
 These factors include, but are not limited to (1) the ability to find, timely
 close, and integrate acquisitions, (2) unseasonable weather, (3) changes in
 government regulations, and (4) the ability to access debt and equity
 financing when needed.  Other factors are discussed in the Company's periodic
 filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
     EDITORS NOTE: for additional information on this project, contact
 Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District at 916-876-6119 or
 roblesr@SacCounty.net
     For additional online information about Synagro Technologies Inc, contact
 www.synagro.com or call (800) 370-0035.
 
 

SOURCE  Synagro Technologies, Inc.