Dewatering of sludge generated in settlers of drinking water treatment plants

Abstract

This article presents the results of the dehydration behavior of sludge generated in sedimentation plants of a drinking water treatment plant, in the city of Guatemala. This analysis is part of the study "Potential for the use of sludge generated in the process of water treatment for human consumption" (Orozco, 2017); research that seeks to strengthen the issue of management of sludge produced during purification, being the first to be carried out in Guatemala. An experimental physical model was developed for the dehydration process. In it, two samples composed of sludge were worked: the first dehydrated sample during the rainy season started with a volume of 7.7x10^-3 m³, and was reduced in a time of 60 calendar days to 9.7x10^-4 m³, which it represents 12.6 % of its initial volume; the second sample dehydrated during the summer season started with a volume of 7.7x10^-3 m³, and was reduced in a time of 40 calendar days to 2.2x10^-3 m³, which represents 28.1 % of its initial volume. The model in principle worked with the physical process of evaporation, and therefore, time represents the most critical; in the case of pretending an optimization of the same, it should be contemplated to include drainage systems to accelerate the dehydration process.