CHAPTER

23

SLUDGE TREATMENT
AND
DISPOSAL

DEWATERIN
G
DRYING AND COMBUSTION
HAZARDOUS
CONSTITUENTS OF
SEWAGE SLUDGE
MANAGEMENT AND
DISPOSAL OF RESIDUES

is the removal of water from solid material or soil.

a process divided into two METHODS.

DEWATERING
AIR DRYING METHOD
MECHANICAL METHOD

AIR DRYING METHODS

WEDGEWIRE
BEDS

SAND BEDS
are methods
in which moisture
SLUDGE
is removed by evaporation
and
LAGOONS
VACUUM-ASSISTED
gravity
or induced drainage
BEDS

PAVED BEDS

SAND BEDS
UNPLANTED
SAND
BEDS beds filled with different
PLANTED
SAND
BEDS
are basically
impermeable
are
simple
sand
and
gravel
filters
ondrainage
which
batch
consist
ofgravel
an impermeable
shallow
pit
filled
with
layers
of
and
sand.
And
pipes
are
Unlike
unplanted
beds,
planted
beds do not need
loads
of
sludge
are
dewatered.
different layers
of
coarse
to fine
sand.
incorporated
in
the
bottom
of
the beds.as the root
desludging before each new application

Generally,
theofcoarse
gravel
layer (grain
diameter:
15 to 50 mm) is
system
the
plants
maintains
the
permeability.
Generally,
there
are
three A
layers,
starting
with a large
within
20
to
30
cm
of
height.
gravel
layer
(diameter
of 7 beds
to 15
sludge
is
applied
in
layers
on
top
of
the
gravel
(diameter
of 20mm)
of 25layer
cm height,
mm) gravel
of 10 tolayer
15 cm
follows this
layer. This
can be followed of
and
is naturally
dried.
Thewith
bedgranules
can be
either
The sludge
isfine
added
intermittently
once
a week
and
followed
by
a
gravel
layer
of
5
mm in
a similar one of slightly lower diameter, but this is not compulsory.
only removed
every
5 to 10 and
yearsfinally covered with a
PLANTED
UNPLANTED.
diameter
(also or
25
cm height)
Therelayer
should
be a final
sand layer of 25 to 30 cm. As
sand
of some
10 cm
some sand will be lost each time the sludge is
manually removed

VACUUM-ASSISTED BEDS
Are constructed on an underdrain of porous rigid
plates. A vacuum is applied to the underdrain,
extracting the free water from the sludge.
The time required to dewater conditioned sludges is about
1 day with solids loadings on the order of 10kg/m2 per
cycle. After removal of the dewatered solids, the surface of
the bed is washed with high pressure sprays. And the
dewatered sludge can be moved by solids handling
equipment.

WEDGEWIRE BEDS

SLUDGE LAGOONS
Are filled with sludge and the solids are allowed to settled
due to gravity to the bottom of the lagoon while the clear
water is pumped off the top.
After a few months, gravity and evaporation will have
reduced the sludge to a 30-50% solid state. The sludge can
then be covered with soil and left on site, or may be trucked
to a landfill off-site.

PAVED BEDS
are like sludge lagoons, it depends on evaporation for
The mixing
breaksofup
any
crust which
dewatering
the
applied
solids forms and
exposes wet surfaces to the atmosphere. Loadings in
dry climates have ranged from about 125 250kg/(m2 .
The
sludge
is applied
depth
of about
300mm(12in)
Year).
Solid
contentstoofa 40%
- 50%
can be
achieved
and is periodically
by ain
tractor
mounted machine
within 30mixed
40 days
dry climates.
which is driven through the bed.

MECHANICAL METHODS
BELT FILTERS

mechanical removal of water from

PRESSURE FILTERS
sludge, thereby reducing it to a
damp solid
with FILTERS
the lowest level of
VACUUM
moisture
attainable
CENTRIFUGES

BELT FILTERS
In
most
design,
the
CHEMICALLY
TheAt
belts
then
separate,
and
sludge
is
Are
most popular
for
sludge
thisthe
moisture
content itthe
behaves
ascake
a solid
CONDITIONED
SLUDGE
isbelt
fed or
to by
an passing
open belt
dislodged
by
scraping
the
and can be subjected
to pressure, shear, andit
dewatering.
surface on
which
gravity
drainage
occurs
as the
around
a
very
small
radius
roller.
vacuum in subsequent sections of the machine.
belt moves forward.
These machines
are made
in a variety
of
Problems
with
belt
filters
are
primarily
associated
A second belt is usually brought down
configurations
consisting
of
one
or
more
with
belt
tracking
and
belt
life.
Belt
life
is
typically
At
the
end
of
the
gravity
drainage
section,
toward the moving sludge at the end of the
endless
woven
belts which
pass
over and
between
1000-2000hours,
but
may
be
much
less
if
provided
thegradually
sludge
has
been
properly
gravity
zone
and
applies
pressure
to the
thesolids,
sludge
contains
any
large
objects
which
conditioned,
theasolid
content
be
10%can
or
around
number
of should
cylinders.
squeezing
out
additional
moisture.
puncture
the fabric.
more.

PRESSURE
FILTERS

Filtration takes place only from the

top of the plate in this filter so that
even with
intermittent
operation,
The
filter support
plates hold
afilter
woven
filter
medium
This
has
small
floor
space
The
tube
filter
is
a
vertical
tank
the cake against
remains inwhich
place. In
the
the chemically
conditioned
sludge
isfrom a
requirements,
but
must
have
filter
with
tubes
suspended
filter shown, the leaf assembly is
pumped.
sufficient
headFilter
roomcake
for removal
of on
tube sheet.
is formed
cleaned and dressed (usually with
paper) outside of the filter. In other the leaves.
It has
high
ratio
ofand
filter
the flow
outside
ofathe
tube
and
filtrate
Pumping
is
continued
until
the
virtually
ceases
variations, the cake may be
area
to filter
shell volume.
can
flows
up600-1750lb/in
through
the tube
intobethe
2It
the
pressure
is
in
the
range
of
.
discharged by means of a rotating
made
a wet
headas
and
out.discharge
The tubessluicing
are cleaned
sluice or may be spun off by
(as
shown)
or as a dry cake
byplates
high
rate
often
The
frame
is then
opened,filter
the
are backwashing
separated,
and
centrifugal
force
by rapidly
rotating
The leaves in this filter rotate
during
cleaning
but
are
stationary
discharge
filter
with
leaf
vibrators.
assisted
by
a
hydraulic
"pump".
the
cake
is
removed.
the leaves.
during filtration. For wet discharge, the leaves rotate past a sluice
nozzle. For dry discharge, the cake is removed by vibrating the
VERTICAL LEAF FILTER
leaves or by rotating them past a scraper or a brush and the
released cake is a screw conveyor.

VACUUM
FILTERS

CENTRIFUGES
may be used as thickening devices for activated sludge or as a
dewatering process for digested or chemically conditioned
sludges.
The screw conveyer or scroll
rotates at a speed slightly
higher than that of the bowl
and thus carries the solids
through the device and up
the ramp to the sludge cake
outlet.

DRYING AND COMBUSTION

FLASH DRYING

THE CARVER-GREENFIELD
PROCESS

ELECTRIC
FURNACES

The process of volume reduction begun in

ROTARY
DRYERS and continued through other
dewatering
MULTIPLE-HEARTH
WET OXIDATION
INCINERATORS
techniques
which will reduce the moisture
SOLVENT
EXTRACTION
content toFLUIDIZED-BED
a little as 5 10%.
PYROLYSIS
INCINERATORS

FLASH DRYING
dispersing the sludge in a stream of hot, dry air
and then separating the solids in a cyclone.
The solids, depending on their makeup, may be
utilized to provide all or part of the heat required for
drying. In this case the process becomes a partial
or complete incineration technique.

ROTARY DRYERS
are steel drums turning at 5 to 8 revolution/min
that are supplied with a mixture of mechanically
dewatered and previously dried sludge which is
exposed to a gas stream at a temperature of
about 650C (1200F) for 20 to 60 min. This
process, like flash drying, requires air pollution
control equipment to recover fine particles and
control odors.

SOLVENT
EXTRACTION
has been used in water treatment plant sludge
handling, an also be applied to wastewater sludges.
Drying is more economical in a thermal sense with
this process since the mixture of triethylamine and
water has a lower latent heat than water alone. The
process equipment is closed, hence no pollution
control equipment should ordinarily be required. This
process is proprietary and is still experimental.

THE CARVER-GREENFIELD
PROCESS

is a exclusive system which has been used

successfully on a variety of sludges.

The process employs a multiple effect

evaporator to separate water from a sludge
which has first been mixed with oil. The oil is
then separated by centrifugation and is returned
for reuse. Liquid and gas process streams may
require treatment.

MULTIPLE-HEARTH
INCINERATORS

are the most widely used sludge incineration device.

Sludge enters at the top and is windrowed across each hearth,

falling then to the next. As it passes through the furnace, it is dried
and its temperature rises to the ignition point.
The gas temperature in the furnace ranges from 550C at the top
(drying) zone to 100C in the middle (combustion) zone and 350C
at the bottom, where the ash is removed.
Supplementary fuel is required to start the process and may be
required in routine operation, depending on the moisture content
and fuel value of the sludge.

FLUIDIZED-BED INCINERATORS
contain a bed of sand which is fluidized by the
The sludge
besludge
wet enough
it carried
does
upward
flow of must
injected
and air. that
Ash is
out
theinstantly
air flow and
removedand
by air
pollution
notbydry
onisinjection
plug
the
control
systems.
screw conveyer. An advantage of the

fluidized-bed
system lies
in the
ability
of to
the
The sand is preheated
to about
800C
prior
sand to of
conserve
heat
during periods
when
injection
the sludge.
Depending
on the fuel
and
the moisture
of is
thenot
sludge,
auxiliary fuel
thecontent
system
in use.
may be required during routine operation.

ELECTRIC FURNACES
heating chamber with electricity as the heat source for
achieving very high temperature
contain a moving woven wire belt that carries the sludge beneath
infrared heating elements which heat it to the ignition point.
If the sludge has a sufficiently low moisture content and a sufficiently
high fuel value, the heating elements may be shut down after the
process has been started. The electric furnace is less expensive than
other incinerators and lends itself to intermittent operation, since a
large mass does not need to be preheated.

WET OXIDATION
is a form of hydrothermal treatment. It is the oxidation of dissolved or
suspended components in water using oxygen as the oxidizer. The
oxidation reactions occur in superheated water at a temperature above
the normal boiling point of water (100 C), but below the critical
point (374 C).
Pressures vary from 7 to 20 mPa (1000 to 3000lb/in2). Under these
conditions, the sludge is oxidized with production of a clear liquid stream.
Reductions in volatile solids of 80 to 90 % can be expected, together with
reductions in volume of over 96% after dewatering. Heavy metals in the
sludge (other than copper) are concentrated in the solid residue.

PYROLYSIS
is a destructive distillation technique that produces a carbon
residue and a variety of gas and liquid products which may
be economically recoverable.
A process of this sort has been applied to sewage sludge with
production of 0.2 to 0.3g of oil per gram of volatile solids in
the sludge.
The benefits of such a process include reduction in waste
volume as well as production of a potentially useful
product.

Cadmium
Nickel

Sewage
sludges
may
be
expected
to
contain
all
of
the
Molybdenum
Beryllium
Chromium
Selenium
Mercury
Arsenic
Copper
Zinc
contaminants present in the raw waste.
Many of these materials are toxic and/or hazardous, and
some of them are concentrated in the solid fraction by
Lead
wastewater
treatment.
and as well as 16 Organic Compounds

OCEAN
DISPOSAL
has
been
more
and
more
restricted
in
Whatever processes are used in handling the solids from sewage treatment, a residue will

SANITARY
LANDFILL
DISPOSAL
will probably
remain
recent
years
because
of
its
environmental
effects.
The
congress
in
New
York
ON-SITE
DISPOSAL
will
be
regulated
depending
on
the
degree
to
MARKETING
AND
DISTRIBUTING
of
dried
or
composed
remain
which must
be disposed
of. This
material
may The
rangepresent
from raw
the preferred
technique
for sewage
sludge
disposal.
solidsolids
wasteat a
which isthelikely
public
accesscontent
to tothe
site.
The95%
major
concern
in this
instance
sludge
to has
be
restricted
some
degree.
The
regulations
proposed
byisthedisease
EPA
has
prohibited
ocean
disposal
after
January
1,
1992.
moisture
of
over
to
incinerator
ash.
regulation require containment and groundwater monitoring features which should

transmission;
henceProtection
those sludges
treated
which give high
microbial
(Environmental
Agency)
willwith
limitprocess
the concentrations
of specific
be adequate to ensure that the environment is protected. Dewatered, dried,
kills are more
suitable
for this
method.products
Lime treatment,
chlorination,
thermal
contaminants
in such
products.
Incidental
made with
sludge as aorcomponents
composted
or
incinerated
sludges
may
be
landfilled
directly,
while
wet
sludges,
with
LAND
DISPOSAL
ofmeeting
sludges,
like
land
disposal
ofverywastewater,
is
processes
produce
residues
proposed
standards.
(suchofasshould
brickssolids
and and
concrete
blocks)
maythe
also
be regulated.
The
handling
waste
the
ultimate
disposal
technique
are
much
careful
handling,
can chemical,
be spread and
on the
working
face andDisease
mixed with
other refuse.
subject
to
biological,
physical
constraints.
transmission,
interrelated. The optimum degree of volume reduction depends in large part onodors,
the
heavy metal
and aesthetic
problems
be considered
distance
to theaccumulation,
disposal site,and
andsocial
the method
of achieving
the must
volumeall reduction
is
before
landproposed
application
is selected.
influenced
by the
disposal
technique.