Every composter knows a pile needs moisture to work, yet water remains one of the least understood resources on a compost site. Too little microbial activity slows to a crawl, while too much can flood a pad, overwhelm storage ponds and turn contact water into an odor problem that neighbors and regulators quickly notice.

On December 9, 2026, BioCycle will host Managing Compost Facility Water, a 30-minute webinar with Baraka Poulin, Director of Business Development at Engineered Compost Systems (ECS). Drawing on the water balance modeling ECS uses when designing facilities, Poulin will walk through how water moves across a site, from rain landing on the pad to the moisture that leaves the pile as vapor during active composting.

Some of the findings may surprise operators who assume the weather is their biggest variable. For example, in an ECS model of a 25,000 tons/year reversing aerated static pile facility in the Seattle area, raising the moisture of incoming feedstock from 45% to 60% shifted the site’s annual water balance by more than 1.8 million gallons, swinging it from a deficit to a large surplus. Changes in rainfall had less than half that effect.

What the session will cover: 

• Categories of water found at compost facilities and their characteristics
• Practical ways to separate and reuse each stream
• Quantitative look at the variables that move a site’s water balance the most

Poulin will close with troubleshooting tips for operators who find themselves with too much or too little water. Whether you manage an existing facility or are planning a new one, the webinar offers clear, practical guidance on one of composting’s key resources.

Register for the webinar here.