New Technology in sludge dewatering (Electrokinetic Dewatering

Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants produce large quantities of sludge, containing organic and mineral components. This sludge is mechanically dewatered to as high as percentage dried solids (DS) as possible. Using centrifuges or belt presses, only 20-25% DS can be obtained. Since the agricultural use of the sludge and land filling are increasingly restricted, drying and incineration are widely implemented. As a result, the costs related to the treatment of sludge have considerably risen and commonly represents 35-50% of the total operating costs of the wastewater treatment. Reducing the amounts of sludge produced and improving dewaterability are hence of paramount importance. In this project, new methods involving oxidation of sludge and electrokinetics will be used to reduce the solids concentration to 40-50% DS compared to 20-25% DS using conventional methods.