Environmental Engineering

Unit IV – Sewage Treatment and Design Principles

Sludge Disposal Methods

Topics Outline....
 Sludge
 Sourcesof Sludge
 Methods of Sludge Disposal
What is sludge?
 Thick, soft, wet mud or a similar viscous
mixture of liquid and solid components,
especially the product of an industrial or
refining process.
 Settleable part of sewage.

What is the problem with Sludge?

 It has an objectionable odour and it possesses
the property of pollution if not properly
disposed of.
 But, if it is dried and properly stored, then it
can be used as a good manure.
Sources of Sludge

 Sludge from Primary Settling Tank

 Sludge from Secondary Settling Tank
 Sludge from Trickling Filter
 Sludge from Digestion Tank
 Methods of Sludge Disposal

1. Disposal by drying bed

2. Disposal on land
3. Disposal by throwing into sea
4. Disposal by lagooning
5. Disposal by incineration
6. Disposal in lake
1. Disposal by Drying Bed
Working Principle
 The sludge is spread evenly over the sand
bed to a thickness of 30 cm.
 After 7 days, the surface of sludge cracks
which indicates that the sludge is ready for
removal.
 The sludge cakes are removed by a spade
and stored suitably for the use as manure.
 This is method is generally recommended
for the black sludge (i.e. humus) which has
good manurial value.
2. Disposal on land

A. Burial
B. Fill
C. Application as fertilizer or soil
conditioner
A. Burial
 This method is used principally for raw
sludge, where, unless covered by earth,
serious odor nuisances are created.
 The sludge is run into trenches two to three
feet wide and about two feet deep.
 The raw sludge in the trenches should be
covered by at least 12 inches of earth.
 Where large areas of land are available, burial
of raw sludge is probably the most economical
method of sludge disposal as it eliminates the
costs of all sludge treatment processes.
B. Ploughing
 The sludge is spread over the land and
ploughed by tractor.
 It is then left for several months.
 Again the land is ploughed by spreading a
fresh layer of sludge.
 Thus, the barren land may be covered to
fertile land.
3. Disposal by throwing into sea
4. Disposal by lagooning
Contd.....
5. Disposal by Incineration

A. Flash Type
B. Multiple Hearth Type.
6. Disposal in Lake
Biological Zones in Lakes
 Euphotic zone
 Littoral zone
 Benthic zone

Lake Classification based on the Productivity

 Oligotrophic lakes
 Mesotrophic lakes
 Eutrophic lakes
 Senescent lakes