Sludge disposal can be simple but expensive, sludge isn’t acceptable at landfill and therefore should be dealt with like water which usually comes with a significant increase in disposal cost compared to landfill.
If you want to save money and minimise waste then there are several solutions for turning sludge into a solid suitable for landfill (or possibly for re-use on site) which may be worth considering. The right solution for you will depend largely upon available space and time, factored with volumes and anticipated cost benefits of de-watering the sludge.
From a construction site perspective the cheapest option is likely to be a basic settlement system such as a storage lagoon. Storage in a lagoon will give most types of sludge a chance to dry or separate out (weather permitting).
Systems which are more advanced than lagoons will provide the required improvements faster and to a higher spec (e.g. lower water content). These come in many forms including-
- Geo-textile dewatering
- Mechanical dewatering –centrifuge or filterpress
- Cement / lime solidification
Cost is at the root of all sludge management, low volumes typically lead to low tech solutions (e.g. settlement lagoon) or simply off-site disposal. Large volumes, or on-going sludge production, can mean that more high tech solutions become financially viable.
It is also possible to re-incorporate sludge by mixing with a suitable dry material on site. If you are considering this approach then make sure you’re not mixing contaminated materials with non-contaminated materials, and also be aware of mixing in too much sludge which would end up with just a higher volume of a slightly more viscous sludge being produced.
As always please do not hesitate to get in contact if you have any queries on 0800 0209 307 or firstname.lastname@example.org
Waste soil classification and disposal options
Classifying waste soils for disposal without any prior knowledge can be difficult and uncomfortable at times, especially when it can be very costly if you incorrectly classify the material. This eBook will help you understand the whats, the whys and the hows of waste soil classification in the simplest terms.