Wastewater is disposed of water from various sources such as homes, farms, factories, public toilets, hotels, hospitals, and offices. Proper disposal of wastewater and treatment is essential in ensuring a healthier and safer environment. Wastewater treatment is an eco-friendly way of processing safe and clean water. It's a way that saves water and reduces industrial waste in the environment. The wastewater treatment process produces a by-product known as sludge or biosolid, which can be solid or semi-solid. A sludge management wastewater manufacturer handles the treatment and disposal of wastewater sludge. Below are the main steps for treating wastewater sludge.
Thickening Of Sludge
Sludge thickening is the first step in wastewater sludge processing. It's difficult to handle thin sludge, which entails fine particles suspended in water, thus the thickening. There are two ways to accomplish the thickening of sludge. The first way entails using gravity thickener tanks which reduce the average sludge volumes to enable easy handling. The second option is dissolved air floatation, which forms a thick sludge layer by floating the solid mass using air bubbles.
Digestion of Sludge
Sludge digestion is the second step, and it's a biological process. It entails decomposing organic substances present in the thickened sludge into stable substances. It's a process that involves two phases that destroy all pathogens and reduce the total solid mass. The first phase involves anaerobic digestion by acid-forming bacteria, which is enhanced by heating and mixing the solid sludge in a tank. The sludge then flows into another tank for the second phase, where other bacteria are used to convert some of the sludge into methane and carbon dioxide. The methane can be used to create electricity or power the digestion tank.
Dewatering
The next step entails the dewatering of the remaining sludge. Although the sludge is solidified, it contains a high percentage of water. Dewatering can occur using sludge drying beds, which is time-consuming as it involves evaporation and gravity using sand. This process can take weeks. Facilities can also use centrifuge devices for dewatering to retrieve all the water from the sludge and handle solid wastes faster and at lesser costs.
Disposal
Disposal is the fourth and last step in sludge management wastewater manufacturing. The chemical composition of the sludge will determine how its disposal will occur. It can be used as fertilizer or buried beneath a landfill. Sludge can't be disposed of where edible crops are grown since it can contain toxic chemicals. The sludge can also be incarcerated if found too hazardous to be reused or buried.
Winding Up
Experts in sludge wastewater treatment industries install technologies to ensure better environmental effects and strict standards for clean water. Contact the services of a professional sludge management wastewater manufacturer for water treatment services.
