Thermal and Microbial Sludge Hydrolysis Processes: Evaluating Their Role in Sustainable Water Resource Recovery Applications

Sludge processing plays a key role in the energy balance (i.e., energy consumption; energy generation) of a sustainable water resource recovery facility. To this end, several advanced sludge conditioning technologies are increasingly being considered to improve this balance and to facilitate offsite management of the biosolids. This paper summarizes the evaluation of two of advanced sludge processing technologies, thermal and microbial hydrolysis processes, as part of ongoing efforts to further optimize the energy profile and overall sustainability of a large WRRF required to meet stringent effluent nutrient requirements.