Massachusetts' First Rotary Press Installation Improves Operations, Cuts Costs

When replacing equipment that has reached the end of its life cycle, breaking with tradition and exploring the marketplace for industry trends and cutting edge technologies can often yield substantial results. For example, when the Town of Billerica, Massachusetts, needed to replace its aging belt filter press; rather than replacing the equipment in kind the Town installed a rotary sludge press for dewatering of blended primary and thickened waste activated sludge, the first installation in Massachusetts and one of only a few in New England, at its 5.4-MGD municipal wastewater treatment facility.Replacing a belt filter press with a rotary sludge press is a unit process replacement with a smaller footprint, making design, construction, and installation a logical retrofit. Where the open belt filter press presents greater exposure to odors, health hazards, and presents a challenging work environment for operators, the rotary sludge press is fully enclosed, providing a more operator friendly environment.This paper presents a review of the piloting, design, construction, startup, and operation of Billerica's new rotary sludge press over the first year of operation.