Municipal and industrial processes tend to produce a lot of waste. Finding the timeliest, most cost-effective, and most ecologically friendly method of waste disposal can be tricky, but one of the tried-and-true solutions is a process known as sludge dewatering.

Essentially, sludge dewatering is all about minimizing the amount of waste by volume, preparing that waste for efficient disposal. In this post, we’ll provide some insight into how the process works, and also list some of the primary benefits of sludge dewatering. With any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team here at P&H Senesac.

What is Sludge?

Before we get into the dewatering process, it may be helpful to define sludge.

Sludge is basically a semi-solid slurry that can be created as the byproduct of most any industrial or municipal process. Specifically, sludge can often be created during the process of wastewater treatment, before the water can be safely released back into the environment.

How Does Sludge Dewatering Work?

Sludge can be heavy and cumbersome to transport, making effective waste management a challenge. That’s where the dewatering process comes into play. Dewatering is all about concentrating that slurry into a more solid cake. Specifically, sludge dewatering reduces both the weight and volume of waste (as it removes the liquid/water components, leaving just high-solid material). In this form, waste is much easier to transport and dispose of. Thus, waste management is more cost-effective.

What are the Benefits of Sludge Dewatering?

The sludge dewatering process offers a number of benefits. These include:

• Waste volume is reduced. As stated above, sludge dewatering is primarily about making it easier and more cost-effective to transport and dispose of waste. This is accomplished by reducing both the weight and the volume of that waste, through the removal of liquids and water.

• Transportation costs decrease. As a direct result of the reduced waste volume, transportation costs tend to be more manageable. Simply put, filling a tanker truck with a heavy, semi-solid slurry and then transporting it long distances can be expensive. Loading light, solid cakes onto a truck can be much less costly.

• There’s much less risk of spilling or leaking. Something else to keep in mind is that transporting sludge can be a messy business. There is always a pretty high risk of spilling or of leakage. Any kind of mess can be a big problem, especially if the sludge is being transported through a residential area. But the solid cakes created in the dewatering process are consistently dry, averting the possibility of a mess.

• Wastewater can be recycled. What happens to the water that’s removed from sludge? Because all the contaminants are filtered out of it, this wastewater can actually be recycled, making this an eco-friendly solution.
• There are plenty of ways to automate the process. Finally, note that the sludge dewatering process can be automated, making it simple and efficient to process large amounts of waste on a regular basis. This is especially true when best-in-class equipment is employed, from a skilled sludge dewatering provider like P&H Senesac.

Learn More About Sludge Dewatering from P&H Senesac

For decades, our company has been at the forefront of sludge dewatering technology, providing centrifuges that quickly and efficiently process large volumes of sludge and wastewater. We also offer rapid deployment, full on-site personnel options, and more. Plus, we are committed to implementing equipment in a way that minimizes your downtime.

Ready to learn more about effective dewatering processes, and about the best ways to manage industrial waste? Reach out to P&H Senesac at your next opportunity.

Industrial processes, including wastewater treatment, tend to result in some wasteful byproducts. For example, these processes often create sludge, a semi-solid slurry that can be difficult to transport for disposal. To assist with the waste management process, industrial facilities often engage in a process called sludge dewatering, which filters out solid waste into concentrated cakes. These cakes are much easier and more cost-effective to get rid of.

The sludge dewatering process also results in wastewater, which is the liquid waste that’s extracted from those high-solid cakes. This wastewater can be recycled, which is one of the main benefits of the sludge dewatering process.

Indeed, there are a number of ways in which wastewater recycling can be beneficial.

What are the Advantages of Wastewater Recycling?

1) Reducing environmental impact.

For example, one benefit of wastewater recycling is that it allows industrial facilities to reduce their environmental footprint.

By implementing large-scale filter press technologies, mining and mineral processing companies can effectively manage mine tailings, dry stacking them instead of using tailings ponds. In the process, this allows mining and mineral processing companies to minimize the risk of leaks, wildlife exposure to contaminated water, and more.

2) Minimizing freshwater stress.

There’s always high demand for freshwater… and sometimes, there’s insufficient supply to meet that demand. For example, agricultural companies and landscaping businesses always need large reserves of freshwater to use in their irrigation processes. During seasons of drought, the freshwater market can be particularly stressed. But recycled wastewater is usually perfectly well-suited to meet this demand.

The bottom line? By reusing their wastewater, industrial and municipal organizations can actually contribute to the world’s freshwater supply.

3) Eliminating water transportation needs.

Recycling and reusing wastewater is considered to be a smart business practice, not a waste disposal liability. Indeed, it can help companies become nimbler and more profitable.

Why is this the case? Well, transporting freshwater to offsite facilities can be incredibly pricey. But many companies have discovered ways to recycle wastewater on-site, and then use that recycled water for their own in-house industrial applications. This eliminates the costly and wasteful need for freshwater transportation.

4) Boosting sustainability.

The term sustainability is frequently invoked, but little understood. Basically, it just means meeting the needs of today without compromising the resources available tomorrow.

Recycling wastewater can be a great way to enhance sustainability. Not only does it allow a way to reuse wastewater for future industrial applications, but it also makes it easier for companies to dispose of solid wastes, rather than leaving them on-site where they can potentially become hazardous.

5) Avoiding regulatory issues and fees.

A final benefit to recycling wastewater is that it can help industries and organizations to avoid expensive non-compliance fees.

Simply put, discharging of waste can be difficult, and failure to do it properly may result in the incursion of penalties. One way to avoid the issue altogether is to simply reuse or recycle liquid wastes on-site.

 

Learn More About Effective Ways to Recycle Wastewater

There are countless ways in which wastewater recycling can be beneficial, not only in helping organizations to meet their environmental goals, but also in making them leaner and more efficient.

To realize any of these benefits, it’s crucial to have the right technology. That’s where P&H Senesac comes into play. For decades, we have been a leading provider of sludge dewatering technology, including best-in-class centrifuges and beyond. 

We’d love to tell you more about the tools we can provide for effective wastewater recycling. To start a conversation with us, reach out to P&H Senesac at your next opportunity.

Digester cleaning is quickly transforming into becoming an established business sector within the digestion industry. Before we get into when you need digester cleaning services, we will understand what anaerobic digestion cleaning is and how it works.

What Is Digester Cleaning?

In many large wastewater treatment facilities and plants, digester cleaning works by breaking down organic waste. The decomposition of the sewage sludge allows the process to produce digester gas from primary or secondary clarifiers. The byproduct (wastewater digester gas) is rich in methane and can be used as an energy source. 

Anaerobic digester mixing systems use a biological process where the microorganisms produce gas by breaking down organic waste. The gasses produced include carbon dioxide and methane. The gas can then be burned like natural gas to produce energy. 

When Do You Need Digester Cleaning Services?

Digester cleaning contractors are usually needed for flood and disaster cleanup when there is a lack of adequate oxidation time, invasion of crustaceans, due to overloading, grit, and trash, or loss of gas recovery. A digester cleaning helps to get rid of grit and debris (rags, hair, sand), which can impact the operations of the digester by preventing the proper digestion process from occurring. Sometimes the grit and debris may not be completely removed with sludge pumps that extract the solids from the digester, and even the ones that get removed may be harsh on the heating and pumping equipment, resulting in higher maintenance costs. Therefore, a digester cleaning service can help to speed up the process and allow the anaerobic digestion plant to operate at its full capacity. 

However, the process of anaerobic digestion can be quite painful for biogas plant operators because it reduces production time, loses some of the biogas, and results in loss of revenue. The process also requires highly trained and experienced professionals who have all of the necessary safety equipment, venting, pumping, and flushing gear to safely and quickly remove all inorganic and organic objects that interfere with the operations of the digester. 

How Does Digester Cleaning Work?

For the purpose of flood and disaster cleanup, digester cleaning uses the help of pressurized water that can dispose of, transport, and remove dirt and other residual solids. Any of the remaining material is then slurred into a semi-liquid form that can conveniently be discharged and removed with the help of pumps. In addition, the trained personnel also have the equipment and capabilities to dewater the removed trash, grit, sludge, and other remains, allowing for landfill disposal. 

Conclusion

It is essential to keep all machines and equipment properly clean and maintained in any field or industry. Any machine or equipment that becomes too dirty could fall into despair and may not function properly. This is why digester cleaning services are required for wastewater plants to ensure that the process of digester does not get hampered in any way. P & H Senesac can serve your cleaning needs for an anaerobic digestion plant and anaerobic digester mixing systems.