Numerous industrial and municipal processes generate a substance referred to as “sludge,” a semi-solid byproduct containing a mixture of liquids and solid waste. Sludge disposal is highly regulated, making it essential for municipalities and industrial businesses to treat and dispose of it in a way that complies with regulatory guidelines and sustainability initiatives.

Sludge dewatering processes remove the bulk of the moisture from sludge, leaving behind solid filter cakes. Removing water from the sludge significantly reduces the weight and volume of the waste component, making it easier and safer to dispose of it. It also makes the separated wastewater itself easier to treat.

Sludge Dewatering Benefits

Sludge dewatering offers numerous benefits for wastewater treatment, including:

• Less solid waste. Disposing of sludge—or attempting to treat it—in its initial form comes with a variety of difficulties. Most notably, the weight and volume of the sludge itself presents significant challenges for treatment and disposal operations. Separating the liquid and solid components of the sludge notably reduces the volume of solid waste that organizations must dispose of.

• Water reuse. The water removed from the sludge can be treated to remove contaminants, then reused as greywater in commercial, industrial, or municipal processes. This type of water sees frequent use in washing and rinsing, heating and cooling systems, fire suppression systems, and more.

• Lower storage and transportation costs. Hauling sludge away from an industrial site for disposal requires tankers to make many trips between the origin location and the disposal facility. Generating solid cakes of dewatered waste reduces both volume and weight, requiring significantly fewer trips to the disposal site and lessening the need for on-site waste storage.

• Consistency. Sludge transport poses leak and spill risks, especially when routed through residential areas. Employing two-stage sludge dewatering systems creates cakes with consistent levels of dryness. Using high-solid dried cakes virtually eliminates the risk of leaks or spills during transportation and storage.

• Automation compatibility. While manual filter-pressing can be somewhat labor-intensive, modern solutions are available with semi-automated and automated components. Sludge dewatering filter presses may leverage advanced control systems that manage automatic cloth washers, assisted cake release systems, automated centrifuge operation, and more.

• Sustainability. Sludge collection and disposal poses a lot of unnecessary risks for the environment at every phase. Conversely, sludge dewatering allows for much safer, more efficient disposal of industrial and municipal waste. Separating water for treatment ensures that wastewater won’t seep into the ground at any point in its lifecycle, and also lessens the need for new water to enter into the process cycle. With less waste for disposal and fewer transportation requirements, sludge dewatering also helps to reduce emissions associated with freight transportation.

Sludge dewatering allows industrial businesses and municipal entities to separate sludge into separate liquid and solid waste streams, facilitating easier and more cost-effective recycling and waste disposal. While single-stage dewatering systems may produce cakes of varying consistency and leave behind too much water, incorporating a secondary dewatering system into the process line can help to remove additional water from first-stage sludge cakes.

ELODE specializes in second-stage dewatering systems that pay for themselves over time through savings in sludge disposal, storage, and transportation. For assistance with implementing secondary sludge dewatering solution for your facility, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.