Application of polyelectrolytes for improving the dewatering performance of drinking water treatment sludge using geotextiles

The sludge generated at drinking water treatment plants (WTPs) is a high-moisture content residue, and therefore difficult to handle, transport, dispose of or recover. During the last decades, geotextile tubes have been successfully applied to reduce the residue volume, facilitate its handling and subsequent reuse. This study aimed to understand the factors that interfere in the filtration and dewatering efficiencies and to experimentally analyze the dewatering process of WTPs sludge, evaluating different test procedures and investigating the influence of the type and dosage of polymeric additives on dewatering performance. Geotextile cone dewatering tests and geotextile bag dewatering tests were performed, using four different woven geotextile samples and an aluminum sulfate WTP sludge sample. The results showed that the use of geotextile cone dewatering tests for geotextile selection and for additive selection and dosage was representative for the dewatering process intended, reflecting the results verified in the geotextile bag dewatering tests. Sludge chemical conditioning increased dewatering rate and solids retention during the tests’ early stages, but it did not result in a higher final solids content sludge cake. Keywords: dewatering systems, geosynthetics, waste management.