A Comparison of Sludge Dewatering Methods … A High-Tech Demonstration Project!

The project addressed the development and implementation of a demonstration study to compare the O&M efficiency and cost-effectiveness of various forms of sludge dewatering. The study piloted and compared standard belt filter press dewatering, high solids centrifuge thickening and dewatering, and high solids belt filter press dewatering. The goal of the project was to identify the best possible method of processing waste activated sludge @ 0.5% solids content and dewatering to produce a minimum 20% sludge cake, at the Iron Bridge facility. Emphasis was placed on capital cost, Operations and Maintenance staff costs, mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation maintenance and repair costs, electrical consumption, polymer consumption, filtrate/centrate quality and capture efficiency, and, possibly the most critical item of all, dewatered cake solids concentration.