Reducing costs, whether through reductions in capital expenditure (CAPEX) or operational expenditure (OPEX), is a primary consideration for utilities and their main consultants and contractors. By focusing on wastewater sludge processing, it is possible to significantly improve ROI and profits. Ongoing maintenance of wastewater systems can be costly and resource intensive, however. So how do you reduce maintenance requirements? In this Slideshare we’ve outlined five design considerations to help you.

1. How to reduce
maintenance
requirements
of wastewater
sludge processing
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2. 1.
Begin water
treatment earlier
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3. When it comes to
wastewater treatment,
the earlier you start the
process, the better able
you are to manage strain
across the system.
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4. Introducing basic, low
maintenance filtering to remove
detritus as water enters the
system prevents damage/overload
of more delicate systems further
along the processing chain.
Basic filters and grilles can be
deployed as a low-cost measure
to prevent trash ingress.
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5. REMOVING LARGER DETRITUS AT THE POINT
OF WASTEWATER ENTERING THE SYSTEM:
Prevents delicate systems
being overloaded
Is cheaper and easier
to maintain
Lowers the total cost
of maintenance
£
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6. 2.
Grit removal
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7. of grit that is not trapped by traditional grit removal solutions:
Damages downstream
assets, particularly
expensive pumps
Increases wear and
tear of products,
reducing their overall
lifetime
Increases the risk that
equipment will fail
unexpectedly
50% 70%
THE
TO
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8. Grit settles out at points in the process where
flows slow, blocking pipes and channels and
reducing the volume available in downstream
treatment processes. Conventional grit removal
equipment is designed based on the mistaken
assumption that all grit particles are perfect
spheres of silica sand greater than 212 microns
in diameter and with a specific gravity of 2.65.
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9. In reality, wastewater grit
is constituted not only of
irregularly shaped silica sand,
but also of other materials
with different specific gravities
such asphalt, limestone and
concrete, as well as eggshells,
coffee grounds, seeds, bone
fragments and other organic
food waste particles of all sizes.
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10. Hydro International’s HeadCell®
system can help to reduce grit
build-up, retaining 95% of all grit
75 micron and larger for instance.
The separator reduces load
on other aspects of the water
processing system and decreases
maintenance frequency cycles.
OF 75 MICRON+
GRIT RETAINED
95%
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11. 3.
Improve sludge
settleability
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12. Even with capture
and control systems
in place, sludge can
quickly overwhelm
filtering systems.
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13. Removal of unnecessary
detritus and gross solids
at the earliest possible
stage reduces the impact
on the downstream
treatment train. There
will be less wear and
tear on equipment and a
higher quality of sludge
going to the digester.
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14. Deploying systems
that encourage sludge
to settle reduces
overall maintenance
overheads
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15. 4.
Sludge
screening
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16. Primary scrapers play an
important part in ensuring the
quality of sludge going to the
digester is as high as possible.
An effective primary settlement
tank scraper system will
increase the amount of
carbon-rich early sludge that
is fed to the digester.
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17. The choice of technology for
primary scrapers will help to
reduce maintenance needs.
Deploying a system like
the Zickert Rotating Sludge
Scraper not only screens
sludge from wastewater, but
relies on minimal moving
parts — so there’s less
chance of mechanical failure.
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18. High efficiency and fewer
failures dramatically
reduces maintenance
requirements of the
scraper and downstream
systems.
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19. 5.
Compact and
process sludge
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20. Sludge screening provides
an opportunity to capture grit
in sludge brought onto the
main site by tankers from
smaller treatment works.
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21. DEPLOYING A SYSTEM LIKE HYDRO
INTERNATIONAL’S HYDRO-SLUDGE®
SCREEN ALLOWS YOU TO:
Remove rag and dry
solids from primary
wastewater sludge
Compact solids
for easier removal
and disposal
Protect and increases
the efficiency of
downstream treatment
processes
Reduce
blockages
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22. Fewer blockages simplifies
maintenance requirements
and lowers the total cost of
ownership for the overall
treatment system.
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23. APPLIED CORRECTLY, THESE
FIVE CONSIDERATIONS
WILL HELP REDUCE
OVERALL MAINTENANCE
REQUIREMENTS.
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