How to get the sludge out of the WWTP? The sludge end fits into a container

As towns and cities grow, so do the demands on wastewater treatment plants. Soon their operators may face economic and technical complications. One of these is sludge treatment. How to prepare for the expansion? Where can savings be made? And what to do if you don't have enough space? We look at this in more detail in the following text.

What can such an expansion of an existing WWTP system mean in practice? For example, enlarging sedimentation tanks and sludge tanks or purchasing your own sludge tailings. This is because most smaller WWTP systems, in our experience, do not have their own dewatering technology. They are therefore dependent on external companies for dewatering or sludge balancing. However, as operations increase, this approach can become very costly.

A well-chosen sludge end cap will reduce operating costs by a third

And investing in your own sludge terminal can quickly pay for itself. It will reduce the operating costs of the treatment plant and operators will avoid having to extend the sludge pond. The example of Přerov nad Labem shows this beautifully. The municipality relied on screw press dewatering. The amount of sludge discharged was reduced by 65% and the cost of disposal was reduced by a third. The investment in the new drainage system paid back the municipality in one year and has since brought huge savings to the municipal budget.  

Sludge dewatering is therefore a good way to reduce the cost of running the WWTP. However, it is important to choose the right technology and size the equipment correctly. The designers' calculations are based primarily on the number of inhabitants that will use the treatment plant. This is known professionally as the population equivalent. The dewatering facility should be able to handle the current sludge production of the municipality and have sufficient reserve for further development. At the same time, it should not be unreasonably large. This would unnecessarily increase the cost of operation and maintenance.

For reliable sludge dewatering, several conditions must be met

Whatever sludge dewatering technology you choose, it is important to remember that the conditions for reliable operation depend on several factors.

Dewatering machines need space. Key locations such as the switchboard, polymerisation station, mixing chamber or the solids outlet at the end of the dewatering machine must be safely accessible for regular inspections and operation. 

Distance from electricity, water and slurry sources can complicate machine installation. This should be kept in mind when designing or expanding a treatment plant. 

The conveyor must convey the discharged sludge to a prepared waste solids container. There needs to be a precise location for all these pieces of the puzzle to work well. 

Operators must place the dewatering equipment itself under a roof that protects the machines and their wiring from the weather. The room temperature must not fall below 4 °C. Otherwise, the water could freeze when operation stops.  

Most often, we install sludge terminals directly in the interior of the wastewater treatment plant. Along with the dewatering screw press, there is a polymerisation station and a conveyor in the same place that gets the dried sludge into the container. 

So how much space will the operator of the ČOVka need? Each installation is unique and we are very flexible thanks to the modularity of the technology. Our smallest dewatering press MP-DW-131 with a length of 2.2 m and a width of 0.6 m in combination with the polymerisation station ASP220/110 would be sufficient for an area of 4 x 2 m. 

The problem of space can be solved by an insulated container cell

Even if you don't have enough space in the sewage treatment plant itself, you don't have to give up on the sludge end. We can deliver the polymerisation station, screw dewaterer and conveyor including complete wiring and in various specifications in a compact form. Specifically, in an insulated container cell. 

This has a number of advantages for the WWTP operator. We prepare the entire container in advance in our production hall in Borotin. We can build it on almost any solid and flat surface. And we then connect the complete plant on site to a water and electricity supply and a pre-prepared sludge inlet and filtrate outlet. This is similar to computers and plug and play devices.  Once connected, the entire plant is ready for operation immediately. 

The containerised sludge terminal is the ideal solution for when you don't have enough indoor space, need to test the whole technology or perhaps you are dealing with a sudden failure of your existing equipment. 

Focusing on sludge treatment and disposal can be an important first step in making your wastewater treatment plant more efficient. We have years of experience with it and would be happy to guide you through the entire process. You can get in touch now.