Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Hons.

)
Water and Wastewater Engineering
-- ECW567 --

SLUDGE TREATMENT
(Week 14)

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 Learning Outcomes

▪ apply knowledge related to sludge treatment

▪ explain the concept of sludge disposal

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Preliminary Primary Secondary
Treatment Treatment Treatment

Sludge
Treatment

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 Sources of Sludge
Individual Septic Tanks / Communal Septic Tanks

Aerated Lagoon / Oxidation Pond Activated Sludge

SLUDGE

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 Sludge Characteristics

▪ Sludge disposal facilities represent 40 – 60% of the

construction cost for WWTP or STP, accounting for
50% of operating cost.
▪ Primary sludge
– Contains inorganic solids and coarser fraction of
the organic colloids
– 3 to 8% solids, 70% organic material
▪ Secondary sludge
- Consists of wasted microorganisms and inert
materials
- about 90% organic material

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PRIMARY SLUDGE
▪ Daily sludge volume produced per capita:
250 L/capita of wastewater
300 mg/L of SS will provide 0.075 kg/day.capita
ACTIVATED SLUDGE
▪ For 200 mg/L BOD loading on secondary treatment,
0.05kg/day.capita. If 60% is converted to waste
activated sludge, 0.03kg/day.capita is produced.
▪ If sludge is wasted at 99.3% moisture content (or 0.7%
dry solids), approximately 4.3 L/day.capita of wet
activated sludge
SLUDGE MASS AND VOLUME
▪ Relationships between volumes (V) and dry solids
contents (SC):
V2/V1 = SC1/SC2

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 FLOWCHART OF
SLUDGE MANAGEMENT
Preliminary Treatment & Untreated Sludge
Digestion(Stabilisation)
Conditioning & Screening
Dewatering Process
Utilisation & Disposal Primary Thickening

Anaerobic Digestion Aerobic Digestion (Optional)

(20/30 days @ 30oC)

Possible Disposal of
Secondary Thickening (Optional) Liquid Sludge

Chemical Conditioning

Mechanical Dewatering Drying Beds Lagoons

Storage at Works (30 days)

Composting
Transportation from works Supernatant to inlet of STP or to
on site Liquor Treatment Plant

Trenching Land Reclamation Land Application Landfill Site 7

 SLUDGE TREATMENT

Digestion&
Thickening Stabilization
Screening Gravity Thickening
Bar Screen Anaerobic Digestion
Flotation Thickening
- Manual - Standard rate
- Dissolved air
- Mechanical - High rate
- Disperse air
Fine Screen - Two-stage
- Vacuum
- Rotary screen Aerobic Digestion
- Biological (aerobic thermophilic
Centrifugal Thickening decomposition)
- Nozzle-disk Lime Stabilization
- Solid bowl
- Basket
Moving Belt System
Dewatering
Drying Beds
Lagooning
Utilization Filter Press
Belt Press
Fertilizer
Centrifuge
Landfill Disposal 8
 SLUDGE THICKENING

Thickening can be carried out using:

1. Gravity thickening
2. Floatation thickening
3. Mechanical thickening

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 Gravity Thickening

▪ is one of the most common methods used and is

accomplished in a tank similar in design to a conventional
sedimentation tank.
▪ Normally, a circular tank is used, and dilute sludge is fed to
a centre feed well.
▪ The feed sludge is allowed to settle and compact and the
thickened sludge is withdrawn from the conical tank
bottom.
▪ Conventional sludge collecting mechanisms with deep
trusses or vertical pickets stir the sludge gently, thereby
opening up channels for water to escape and promoting
densification.

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▪ The supernatant flow that results is drawn off and returned
to either the primary settling tank, the influent of the
treatment plant, or a return flow treatment process.
▪ The thickened sludge is pumped to the digesters or
dewatering equipment as required : thus, storage space
must be provided for the sludge.

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Figure 8-30 Gravity Thickener

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 Floatation Thickening
(Dissolved Air Floatation, DAF)

▪ allowed for STP < 1,000 PE.

▪ DAF is a unit operation used to separate solid or liquid
particles from a liquid phase. Separation is brought about
by introducing fine gas (usually air) bubbles into the liquid
phase.
▪ The bubbles attach to the particulate matter, and the
buoyant force of the combined particle and as bubbles is
great enough to cause the particle to rise to the surface.
▪ Particles that have a higher density than the liquid can thus
be made to rise. The rising of particles with lower density
than the liquid can also be facilitated.

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▪ In wastewater treatment, floatation is used principally
to remove suspended matter and to concentrate
biosolids. The principal advantages of flotation over
sedimentation are that very small or light particles that
settle slowly can be removed more completely and in
a shorter time. Once the particles have been floated to
the surface, they can be collected by skimming
operation.

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Figure 8-29 Air floatation Thickener

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 Mechanical Thickening

▪ carried out using mechanised equipment.

▪ Examples include Rotary Drum Thickener, Belt Thickener,
Centrifuge

Belt Thickener Rotary Drum Thickener

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 STABILIZATION
The principle purpose is to break down the organic solids
biochemically so that they are:

▪ More stable (less odorous and less putrescible)

▪ More dewaterable
▪ Reduce mass of sludge

The are 2 basic stabilization processes:

▪ Anaerobic digestion
▪ Aerobic digestion

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 AEROBIC DIGESTION

▪ Aerobic digestion is similar to activated sludge systems.

When activated sludge is mixed with primary sludge there
will be both direct oxidation of the organic matter in the
primary sludge & endogenous oxidation of the cell tissue.
▪ Usually accomplished by aerating the organic sludges in an
open tank (like an activated sludge tank)
▪ The effluent (supernatant) form the clarifier is recycled back
to the head of the plant.
▪ The goal of aerobic digestion is 38 percent reduction in
volatile solids

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 ANAEROBIC DIGESTIONS

▪ Anaerobic digestion process requires no oxygen supply

and it produces methane. It consists of 3 main steps:
▪ FIRST: the complex organics are first broken down to
simpler compounds (e.g. fatty acids)
▪ SECOND: involves acid fermentation, and
▪ THIRD: it is further broken down to methane and carbon
dioxide (methane fermentation). Digested solids
concentration is 4-6%.

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Figure 8-34 schematic diagram of the patters of flow carbon
in anaerobic digestion

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Figure 8-35 Steps in anaerobic digestion process with
energy flow

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Figure 8-36 Schematic of a high-rate anaerobic digester

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Figure 8-37 Phantom view of high-rate anaerobic digester

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Figure 8-37 Cross section of detail of floating cover

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 SLUDGE CONDITIONING

▪ Treatment of the sludge with chemicals or heat so that water

can be readily separated
▪ Chemical conditioning: addition of coagulants such as ferric
chloride, lime, or organic polymers. The solids will clump
together and will be more easily separated from the water.
▪ Heat treatment: The sludge is heated at high temperatures
(175 to 230 degrees) and pressures (1 to 2 MPa). Water is
released from the solids, improving the dewatering
characteristics of the sludge. Complex operation and
maintenance.

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 SLUDGE DEWATERING

▪ The most common method of sludge dewatering is using

the drying bed.

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 SLUDGE DEWATERING
Centralised Sludge Treatment Facility

Belt Press
Mobile Dewatering

Mechanised
Centrifuge Decanter Filter Press

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 Sludge Lagoon
Trenching

Trenching site at Assam

Kumbang, Taiping

Non -
Mechanised
Drying Bed

Trenching site at
Pengkalan Hulu, Perak

Trenching site at Labis,

Segamat

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 SLUDGE UTILISATION & DISPOSAL
Sludge Disposal
• Landfills • Oceans • Incineration

Sludge Reuse
• Agriculture • Reforestation • Landscaping
• Compost • Co-composting • Oil extraction
• Power generation • Bricks, tiles, slab

Considerations on Sludge Disposal / Reuse

• Land availability • Legislative • Crop/Tree selection
• Sludge quality • Water contamination • Odor

http://water.me.vccs.edu/courses/ENV149/disposal2.htm 29
 Landfilling

▪ Usually done when there is an acceptable, convenient site

▪ For biosolids, grit, screenings, and other solids
▪ Dewatering is typically required and stabilization may be
required before the landfill can be used

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 Dedicated Land Disposal

▪ Application of heavy sludge loadings to some finite land

area that has limited public access and has been set aside
or dedicated “for all time”
▪ No crops may be grown
▪ Dedicated sites typically receive liquid sludges
▪ Typical site is where surface mining has taken place
▪ The biosolids improve the recovery of land by providing
organic matter and nutrients for plant growth

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 Utilization

▪ Wastewater solids may be used beneficially, such

composting and co-firing with the municipal solid waste.
▪ The recovery of lime and the use of sludge to form
activated carbon have also been in practice in USA

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 Land application of Biosolids

▪ The spreading of biosolids on or just below the soil

surface
▪ Application to land for agricultural purposes is beneficial
because the organic matter improves soil structure, soil
aggregation, water holding capacity, water infiltration, and
soil aeration.
▪ Macronutrients (nitrogen, phosporous, and potassium)
and micronutrients (iron, manganese, copper and zinc) aid
plant growth. Can serve as a partial replacement to
fertilizers
▪ Biosolids must meet the pollutant ceiling concentrations

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THANK YOU

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