Chapter 7: Treatment of sludge and

disposal

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Sources of sludge
• Main sources of sludge is sewage treatment plant and the following the components of
treatment plant are the source of sludge
1. Grit chamber
2. Primary settling tanks
3. Secondary settling tank
4. Septic tanks
5. Chemical precipitation
6. Activated sludge unit
7. Trickling filter
8. Oxidation pond

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Necessity of sludge treatment
1. To reduce volume of sludge by dewatering for easy transportation, handling and
disposal
2. To digest decomposable substances to stable substances.
3. To kill bacteria and pathogens for the safety of the public health.
4. To recover and reuse oils, grease due to its industrial value.
5. To utilize the sludge as fertilizer
Characteristics of sludge
• Characteristics and quantity depends upon the characteristics of raw sewage, process
and the degree of the treatment.
• Generally liquid or semi-solid liquid containing 0.25–12% of solid mostly biodegradable
organic substances needs further treatment

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(a) Characteristics of Sludge from Primary settling tank (plain sedimentation)
• Gray colour, greasy, offensive odour of settleable solids containing 50 to 60% of
suspended solid applied and skimming.
• Contains fine silt, vegetable matters
• Solid content = 6 – 8% in which 60 – 80% are volatile.
• Quantity about 20 m3 per million liters of sewage.
(b) Characteristics of Sludge from chemical precipitation (primary treatment)
• Usually dark in colour and less offensive odour than sludge obtain from primary settling
tank
• Precipitated chemicals entangled with solids
• Colour from the coagulants added.
• Generally contains about 70 – 90% SS and 10 -30% water
• Quantity about 20 m3 per million liters of sewage.

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(c) Sludge from activated sludge process (secondary treatment)
• Golden brown colour, inoffensive at fresh but septic after biological activity.
• Rich in organic matter.
• It contains 0.5 – 2% of suspended solids but 98 – 99% of water.
• Quantity about 30 - 50 m3 per million liters of sewage.
(d) Sludge from trickling filter (secondary treatment):
• Dark brown colour, less offensive when fresh, contains humus with dead worms so
produces offensive gases after some time
• Contains dissolved organic matter and
• Sludge contains 4 – 6 % of solid
• Quantity about 5 m3 per million liters of sewage.

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Determination of sludge volume moisture relationship
• Volume of sludge = volume of solid + volume of water
• Vsl = Vs + Vw …..equation 1
We know specific gravity S = =
V= so Vsl = Vs = Vw =
Put the value of Vsl , Vs , Vw in equation 1 we get
= + …equation 2
, are specific gravity of sludge, solids and water
Wsl Ws Ww are weight of sludge , solids and water
Divide the equation 2 by Wsl on both sides
Pw = x 100%, Psl = x 100% = 100%, Ps = x 100%,

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 = + …..equation 3
Where Ps and Pw % of solids and water

Water content = = = 1 – Sc
Sc = solid content =
If the solid content fixed solids and volatile solids then
= +
or = + …..equation 4
Here Pf Pv are % of fixed solids and volatile solids
Sw = 1 Sf = 2.4 -2.65 Sv = 1 -1.2, Ssl = 1.02-1.04
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Methods of sludge treatment
(1) Grinding and blending
(2) Thickening or concentration
(Commonly by Gravity thickening)
(3) Digestion or stabilization
a. Conventional or low rate digester
b. High rate digester
(4) Dewatering
a. Drying Beds
b. Mechanical Method
(5) Incineration
(6) Composting

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(1) Grinding and blending
Preliminary operation done to produce homogenous and uniform size sludge by grinding
machine.
Blending is done in blending tank to mix sludge of different character. This operation is
optional.
(2) Thickening or concentration
• It is the process used to increases the solid content of the sludge by removing the
liquid fraction
• It is done by gravity thickening, floatation thickening and centrifugation but most
common is gravity thickening
Purposes :
• Reduce the capacity of sludge tank
• Use small size equipment/less chemicals
• Minimize the land use for disposal

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Gravity thickener
• Most common and least expensive because it uses the forces of gravity.
• Adopted for primary as well as combined primary and activated sludge or combined
sludge having greater than 40% of activated sludge.
• Gravity thickeners are either continuous flow or fill and draw type , with or without
addition of chemicals
• It is done in a circular tank called gravity thickener similar to a conventional
sedimentation tank but deep with heavier but slowly rotating ( 0.5 – 1 rpm) racking
mechanism like deep truss. It has steeply sloping floor.
• Sludge is fed to a center well where it is allowed to settle and compact and thickened
sludge is withdrawn from the bottom of tank thus obtained sludge is pumped to the
digester or dewatering equipment
• Bridge fastened to the tank wall supports the truss type scraper arm mounted on a pipe
shaft equipped with a power lift device for open up channels for water to escape and
promoting densification.

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Design criteria
• Hydraulic loading = 20 – 25 m3 / m2 / day
• Max diameter of tank = 60m
• Depth = 3m
• Free board = 0.5 – 1m
• Detention time = 3 – 4 hours
3. Digestor tank
• Complete anaerobic digestion process takes about 4 and half months at 21°C on
controlled conditions.
• Sludge digestion is done in a closed tank called digesters which are of two types:
(a) Conventional or low rate digester
(b) High rate digester

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(a) Conventional or low rate digester
• Digestion, thickening is carried out simultaneously in a tank.
• It may be of Floating cover type in which anaerobic digestion, gravity thickening and
storage may be done and Fixed roof digester.
• Fixed roof digester is circular in plan and hopper bottom in section, top cover is
cylindrical and made of RCC.
• Sludge is fed from center and the mixing device mixes sludge.
• Manhole is provided for maintenance
• Solid particle settles at the bottom and the gases are collected in the gas chamber from
where gas is released.
• To remove liquids, openings at different levels are provided
• Solid particles are removed by gravity or pumping.

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(b) High rate digestor
• Solid loading rate is higher.
• Sludge is mixed and heated to achieve optimum digestion rates.
• Consists of two tanks in series.
• First is used for mixing, heating for anaerobic digestion
• Other is used for separation of supernatants, thickening and storage.
Design criteria of Digestor
1. Number of units = 1 for plants upto 4 MLD capacity
= 2 or more in multiple of 2 for larger plants above 4 MLD
2. Diameter of tank = 6 – 55m
3. Depth of digestor = 4 – 9m
4. Free board = 0.4 – 0.8m
5. Retention period = 30 – 90 days

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6. Volumetric loading rate of sludge on tank = 1.6 – 6.4 kg / m3 / day

7. Volume of digester tank V = [Vf - ( Vf – Vd ) ] x t

Where Vf = volume of fresh sludge inflow ( m3 / day)
Vd = volume of digested sludge ( m3 / day)
t = digestion time
Factors affecting the digestion
1. temperature: bacteria are inactive at low temperature below 10 and active at high
temperature above 65 and rate of digestion increases with increase in temperature
2. PH : if PH < 4 and PH > 10 bacteria will die hence PH should be checked and
maintained. PH value 7.2 – 7.4 considered as optimum. PH will be maintained by
adding lime in this range
3. Seeding: At first operation, seed with digested sludge from the another tank for
proper and quick operation because it contains active bacteria

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Dewatering
• it is done after digestion
• Process of removal of water from the digested sludge.
• Purpose: to remove water from sludge after digestion
• Reduces the volume and cost of subsequent process as well as transportation and protects
landfill site from leachate formation.
• Done by air drying on open sludge drying beds or by mechanical method
(a) Sludge drying beds
• Sludge can be dried in an open atmosphere
where temperature is higher.
• Consists of specially prepared beds on land
• Consists of sloping bottom layer of gravel
over which bed of clean sand with effective
size of 0.3 – 0.75 m and coefficient
of uniformity less than 4 is laid.

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• Open jointed under drains laid in the gravel to drain off the liquid passed from sand
and then gravel.
• Sludge is partly dried by evaporation in sunlight and infiltration of water to under drains
through sand and gravel beds.
• Drying takes place in about 2 – 3 weeks.
• Should be located 100 m far from the inhabitants
• Should be covered by glass roofing where rainfall is high.
• Dried sludge cakes can be removed for disposal.
(b) Mechanical method
• Various mechanical methods but Vacuum filter method is common
• Consists of a cylindrical drum whose outer surface is of copper mesh over which a filter
cloth is stretched and wired.
• Inner space between the solid shell and outer shell is subdivided into various
compartments

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• Each compartment is connected to a vacuum pump and the drum is suspended
horizontally so that one quarter of its diameter is submerged in the tank containing
sludge.
• On immersion, the vacuum is created
inside of filter compartments and the
pump sucks out the water from the sludge.
• The sludge blanket made at the surface
of drum is scraped by means of scraper
from the rotating drum just before it enters
above scraper for re-submersion

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4. Incineration
• A most hygienic method in which sludge is changed into ashes.
• Raw or digested wet sludge may be treated and disposed off
• Equipment/structure for burning is called incinerator
Two Types:
(a) Flash type incinerator
• A tower first heated by burning fuel then wet sludge is thrown from top.
• Hot gases from the bottom removes the moisture
• Dried sludge collected at the bottom and used as burning material for the same tower.

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(b) Multiple Hearth type incinerator
• Consists of furnace with series of circular hearths (fireplace) one upon another.
• Wet sludge cake placed on the top hearth and passed through five/six successive
hearth
• Useful for large quantity of sludge.
• High cost due to fuels so not used in developing countries.
• Drying zone: dried at 550°C,
• Burning zone: burnt at 1000°C
• Cooling zone: cooled to 300°C.
• Smoke released to atmosphere through chimney
• Ash disposed off by sanitary land filling.

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5. Composting
• Destroy organic matters present by aerobic decomposition through a biochemical
process and converts into stable mineral compounds which can be used as a fertilizer.
• Sludge is mixed with dry organic mix and water content is reduced and different
methods of composting is discussed in chapter 9 solid waste disposal.
Methods of sludge disposal
(a) Dumping
(b)Spreading on the land
(c) Land filling
(d) Lagooning
(a) Dumping
• Dumping means through away of solid wastes in low lying areas, depression
area.
• It is suitable for stabilized sludge
• It is used for digested sludge, clean grit and incinerator residue.

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(b) Spreading on land
• Stabilized or digested sludge spreading over farm /land as a fertilizer for raising crops
• After application , land ploughed before raising crops
• Applied to 2 – 4 cm depth per year
• It is not suitable for larger quantity sludge.
(c) landfilling
• Both raw and stabilized sludge after dewatering can be disposed off by filling in low
lying areas in layer by layer is called land filling.
• Improvement of dumping method
• Hygienic method.
• Dumping in layer of 1 to 2 m, Covered by min of 20 cm good earth to prevent
from exposure to avoid nuisance of flies and vermin.
• Next layer is added after 1 wk.
• All the layers are compacted
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(d) Lagooning
• Treated or untreated sludge disposed into the lagoons/ pond is called Lagooning.
• Lagoon: a shallow earth basin used for storage/digestion/ dewatering and first disposal
of dried sludge adopted for untreated as well as digested sludge
• Natural depressions can be used as lagoons.
• Depth of lagoon may vary from 0.5m – 1.5m.
• Anaerobic digestion takes place in lagoon where water get evaporated and infiltrated.

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Numerical
• Example 1: a sludge has volume of 80 m3 and water content is 99% when it is
reduced to 97.5% what will be the change in volume.
Solution:
Water content or moisture content m = = = 1 –Sc
Sc = 1 – m where Sc = solid content
As the weight of solid remains the same in both cases
We know, Vsl,1 (1- m1) = Vsl,2 (1- m2)
80 x (1 – 0.99 ) = Vsl,2 (1- 0.975)
Vsl,2 = 32 m3
Reduction in volume = 80 – 32 = 48 m3

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Example 2: a sedimentation tank treats 8 MLD of sewage containing 250 mg/ltr of
suspended solids (ss). The tank removes 60% of the suspended solids. Compute
the weight and volume of the sludge produced daily if the moisture content of
sludge is (i) 95% (ii) 90%. Take specific gravity of sludge as 1.02
• Solution:
Weight of solids in sewage = 8 MLD x 250 mg/l
6 -6
= 8 x 10 l/d x 250 x10 kg/l = 2000 kg/day
Since only 60% of the suspended solids are removed in the settling tank weight of solids
removed in sedimentation tank.
Ws = 60% of 2000 kg /day = 0.6 x2000 kg/day = 1200 kg/day
𝐖𝒔𝒍 𝐌𝐬𝐥 𝒈
[Note : Volume of sludge is given by Vsl = or =
𝐒𝐬𝐥 w 𝐒𝐬𝐥 𝒈𝜹𝒘
𝐌𝒔𝒍
Volume of sludge in terms of mass Vsl = ….equation 1
𝑺𝒔𝒍 𝜹𝒘
Solid content Sc = 1 - m

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 𝒔
= 1-m
𝒔𝒍
𝑴𝒔
=
1−m 𝒔𝒍

Put in equation 1
𝐌𝒔
Vsl = ]
𝟏 𝒎 𝑺𝒔𝒍 𝜹𝒘

Case (i )Volume of sludge at 95 % moisture content Vsl =

= = 23.53 m3/day
.

Weight of sludge =Vsl x sl =Vsl x sl 𝑤

= 23.53 m3/day x 1.02 x 9.8x 1000 kg/m3
= 235200 N /day

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Case (ii )Volume of sludge at 90 % moisture content Vsl =

= = 11.765 m3/day
.

Weight of sludge =Vsl x sl =Vsl x sl 𝑤

= 11.765 m3/day x 1.02 x 9.8x1000 kg/m3
= 117600 N /day
Analyzing the case i and case ii it indicates the volume and weight of
sludge is reduced to half when its moisture content reduced from 95% to
90%

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Example 3: design a sludge digestion tank with the following data
average flow of sewage = 60 MLD
total suspended solids in the raw sewage = 350 mg/l
volatile suspended solids = 250 mg/l
moisture content of digested sludge = 87%
assume data suitably if necessary
• Solution
Assume primary settling tank (PST) removes 65% sludge of sewage and this fresh sludge
contains 95% moisture and further treated on digester tank
mass of solids in sewage = 60 MLD x 350 mg/l
6 -6
= 60 x 10 l/d x 350 x10 kg/l = 21000 kg/day
mass of sludge for digested tank or fresh sludge Ms= 65% of 21000 kg/day
= 13650 kg/day
Assume specific gravity of sludge Ssl = 1.02

Volume of fresh sludge Vsl or Vf = = = 267.65 m3/day

. 𝑥1000

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let Vd or Vsl,2 be volume of digested sludge then,
Vsl,1 (1- m1) = Vsl,2 (1- m2)
267.65 x (1 – 0.95 ) = Vsl,2 (1- 0.87)
Vd or Vsl,2 = 102.94 m3 /day
Capacity of digester V = [Vf - ( Vf – V d ) ] x t
Assume t = digestion time 30 days
V = [267.65 - ( 267.65 – 102.94) ] x 30
V = 4735.3 m3
Assume depth of digester tank = 8m (4 – 9m)
.
Surface area of tank (A) = = 591.91 m2
A=π

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• D = 27.45m (5 - 55m)
• Design summary
• Number of digester tank = 1
Adopt Diameter of digester tank = 27.5m
Free board = 0.5 (0.4 – 0.8m)
Overall depth = 8 + 0.5 = 8.5m
Bottom of slope 1:12 towards the center

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Example 4: a wastewater plant provides 800kg of dry solids per day at a moisture
content of 96%. The solids are 70% volatile with a specific gravity of 1.05 and %
non-volatile with a specific gravity 2.5. determine the sludge volume
(a) after digestion which reduces volatile solid content by 50% and decreases the
moisture content 92%
(b) after dewatering to 70% moisture
(c) after drying to 10% moisture
(d) after incineration, when only non-volatile solid remain
• Solution
(a) Raw sewage
Total mass of dry sewage Ms = 800kg
moisture content m = 96% = 0.96
so solid content Sc =1 - 0.96 = 0.04

Mass of sludge Msl = = 20000kg

Mass of water Mw= Msl – MS = 20000 – 800 = 19200 kg
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Note: 1kg of water = 1 liter of water because density of water 1000 kg / m3
Volume of water = 19200 l
Mass of volatile solids Mv = 70% of 800 kg = 560 kg
Volume of volatile solids Vv = = = 533.33 lit 𝑤
3 it
.
Mass of fixed solids Mf = Ms – Mv = 800 – 560 = 240kg
Volume of fixed ( non –volatile ) solids Vf = = = 96 lit
.
Hence total volume = 19200 + 533.33+ 96 = 19828.33 lit
Or alternative method
𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐟 𝐏
= + 𝐯
𝐒𝐬 𝐒𝐟 𝐒𝐯
𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝟑𝟎 𝟕𝟎
= +
𝐒𝐬 𝟐.𝟓 𝟏.𝟎𝟓
Ss = 1.271

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𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐬 𝐏𝐰
= +
𝐒𝐬𝐥 𝐒𝐬 𝐒𝐰
𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝟒 𝟗𝟔
= +
𝐒𝐬𝐥 𝟏.𝟐𝟕𝟏 𝟏
Ssl = 1.0086
𝐌𝒔 𝟖𝟎𝟎
Volume of sludge Vsl = =
𝟏 𝒎 𝑺𝒔𝒍 𝜹𝒘 𝟏 𝟎.𝟗𝟔
= 19.829 m3 = 19829 lit
(b)Volume after digestion
After digestion volatile solids are reduced by 50%
Mass of volatile solids Mv = 50% of 560 kg = 280 kg
Mass of fixed solids Mf = 240kg (as before )
Total mass of solids Ms = Mv + Mf = 280 + 240 = 520 kg

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Water content m = 92% so solid content is 8%
Total mass of sludge Msl = =6500kg
.
Mass of water in sludge Mw = Msl – Ms = 6500 – 520 = 5980 kg
So volume of water = 5980 lit
Volume of volatile solids Vv = = = 266.7 lit 𝑤
3 it
.
Volume of fixed ( non –volatile ) solids Vf = 96 lit (as before)
Hence total volume = 5980 + 266.7+ 96 = 6342.7 lit
(c) Volume after dewatering
After dewatering water content is 70% so solid content 30%
Total mass of solids Ms = 520 kg (as before)
Total mass of sludge Msl = =1733.3kg
.
Mass of water in sludge Mw = Msl – Ms = 1733.3 – 520 = 1213.3 kg
So volume of water = 1213.3 lit
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Volume of volatile solids = 266.7 lit (as before)
Volume of fixed solids = 96 lit (as before)
Hence total volume = 1213.3 + 266.7+ 96 = 1576 lit
(d) Volume after drying
Total mass of solids Ms = 520 kg (as before)
Moisture content on drying 10% so solid content is 90%
total mass of sludge Msl = =577.8kg
.
Mass of water in sludge Mw = Msl – Ms = 577.8 – 520 = 57.8 kg
So volume of water = 57.8 lit
Total volume of sludge = 57.8 + 266.7+ 96 = 420.5 lit
(e) After incineration
only fixed solids ( non-volatile solids) so total volume after incineration is 96 liter

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Example 5: The following data is given for sludge produced by primary settling tank and
secondary settling tank of a trickling filter:
i. A normal flow of sewage = 20MLD
ii. BOD5 of raw sewage = 210 mg/l
iii. Suspended solids in raw sewage = 260 mg/l
iv. Primary sedimentation tank removes 30% of BOD and 60% of Suspended solids
v. Specific gravity of inorganic solids = 2.65
vi. Specific gravity of organic solid = 1.02
vii.Water content of fresh sludge = 95%
viii.Water content of digested sludge = 87% and
ix. Digestion period = 30 days.
Assume other necessary data suitably.
(a) Determine the volume of sludge produced by PST as well as SST.
(b) Design a conventional sludge digestion tank for treating sludge from PST and SST.

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solution
• Given for PST and SST;
A normal flow of sewage (Q) = 20MLD = 20 ×106 liters /day
BOD5 of raw sewage (BOD5) = 210 mg/l
Suspended solids in raw sewage (SS) = 260 mg/l
PST removes 30% of BOD and 60% of Suspended solids
Specific gravity of inorganic solids (Sf) = 2.65
Specific gravity of organic solid (Sv) = 1.02
Water content of fresh sludge (m1) = 95%
Water content of digested sludge (m2) = 87% and
Digestion period (Td) = 30 days.
Sludge volume produced by PST and SST (Vf) =?

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42
Let us assume that the moisture content in sludge from PST and SST after TF be as that
of total fresh sludge as m1 = 95%. Now,

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 -
-

45
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capacity of digester V = [Vf - ( Vf – Vd ) ] x t
t = digestion time 30 days
V = [89.98 - ( 89.98 – 34.6) ] x 30
V = 1591.8 m3
Assume depth of digester tank = 7m (4 – 9m)
.
Surface area of tank (A) = = 227.4 m2
A=π
227.4 = π
D = 17m (5 - 55m)
Design summary
Number of digester tank = 1
Adopt Diameter of digester tank = 17m
Free board = 0.5 (0.4 – 0.8m)
Overall depth = 7 + 0.5 = 7.5m
Bottom of slope 1:12 towards the center

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