2 Pre-treatment and Treatment Options for Sludge

This lesson will briefly describe various thickening and dewatering methods, as well as provide an overview of various stabilisation and conditioning methods for sludge.

 The conventional sludge process is usually as follows:

Possible Process Flow for Sludge Treatment

Please note, that the sequence can vary depending on the established treatment process and required outcome. For example, conditioning faecal sludge with lime is a simultaneous stabilisation step before dewatering.

In this lesson, you will:

  • Gain an insight into the initial steps of the sludge management process
  • Understand the process of sludge thickening, what it achieves, and the various thickening methods that can be utilised
  • Understand the process of sludge stabilisation, what it achieves, and the various stabilisation methods that can be utilised
  • Understand the process of sludge conditioning, what it achieves, and the various conditioning methods that can be utilised
  • Understand the process of dewatering sludge, what it achieves, and the various dewatering methods that can be utilised