In an industrial setting, many different filtration solutions are available. Each has its own function, such as oil skimmers, centrifuges and more. All of these systems are designed to boost operational performance, save money, and improve your environmental profile. Sludge dewatering systems are a crucial part of most industrial operations, allowing businesses to separate solid waste from water and reduce their waste disposal costs. However, sludge dewatering has many more environmental benefits, which we’ll explore in this article.
Reduced Waste Disposal Costs
Sludge is extremely heavy because of its water content. When businesses need to dispose of sludge, they’re essentially paying to get rid of water because waste disposal is typically charged by weight. There are other associated expenses with this process, and we’ll touch on those later, but essentially, a sludge dewatering system removes much of the expense.
A sludge dewatering machine allows sludge to pass through filtration media that catches all solid material. The excess water is collected and removed while the system’s vacuum dries the solid matter. This dried matter is known as a ‘cake’, and it weighs only a fraction of the original sludge. By only paying to dispose of dried cake, you slash the cost.
Lower Energy Consumption
Modern sludge dewatering systems use far less energy than other methods. Significantly, a sludge dewatering system’s vacuum creates enough air to essentially dry the sludge out as it is being collected. It makes the remaining cake easy to dispose of without the need for additional heating or drying processes. As such, your overall energy consumption and carbon footprint are reduced.
Less Waste in Landfills
One of the biggest environmental issues is the amount of waste in landfills. Landfill waste decomposes, creating methane gas that affects air quality and damages the environment. Any water moving through a landfill site can contaminate surrounding areas and water supplies, so you can imagine the effect that bulk loads of sludge would have.
Sludge dewatering systems remove the water, so only the dried cake requires disposal. This spadable material can be managed properly at a landfill site, whereas large amounts of heavy, wet sludge cannot.
Reduced Transport Costs
We touched on the reduced waste disposal costs earlier but didn’t mention the associated transport costs. Disposing of untreated sludge requires more vehicles, fuel and releases more vehicle emissions into the environment. Sludge dewatering means you have a much smaller mass to dispose of, reducing transportation costs dramatically. Your fuel expenses decrease, and you’re responsible for fewer vehicle emissions. You may even be able to improve your asset distribution due to the decreased truck requirement.
Recycling and Reusing Water
Perhaps one of the biggest environmental improvements you can make is recycling and reusing water. Water consumption is a huge issue, so anything you can do to reduce yours is a big tick for your environmental profile. High-quality sludge dewatering systems remove all solids and contaminants from sludge. The water left behind can be treated using further purification processes, giving you more flexibility in how you reuse it.
If you don’t want to use any further filtration processes, you may still be able to use the wastewater for certain functions, such as hosing down wet areas. Basically, every drop of water you save reduces your carbon footprint.
Extracting Valuable Resources
Another great environmental benefit of sludge dewatering systems is the fact that you can extract what you need from the sludge. One example is using dewatered sludge to produce biogas. Turning waste into energy is a great way to lower your carbon footprint.
In an agricultural setting, dewatered sludge can provide another benefit. It can be processed into fertiliser, which has a far-reaching impact. Firstly, it promotes more sustainable agriculture practices. Secondly, it reduces the need for chemical fertilisers, resulting in healthier crops.
Regulatory Compliance
Industrial businesses must meet certain environmental regulations or risk being hit with costly fines or worse. In many ways, the carbon reduction scheme in Australia requires businesses to pay to offset emissions if they can’t reduce them any further. So, by implementing environmentally friendly sludge dewatering systems, you go a long way towards meeting many environmental obligations.
While many think of ‘compliance’ as a bad word that’s going to cost them money, the reverse is true in this case. Sludge dewatering systems have many financial benefits, but crucially, they reduce your carbon emissions. You instantly have fewer carbon emissions to offset, reducing the costs of doing so each year.
Reduced Chemical Usage
Some sludge treatment methods require the use of chemicals to break down components of the sludge. While many of these methods are effective in breaking down solid matter, they also introduce harmful chemicals into the mix. This basically means the water is more contaminated and must go through wastewater treatment processes before it can be reused or disposed of.
Modern sludge dewatering systems don’t use chemicals – simply a vacuumatic process that facilitates both filtration and drying. Reducing chemical usage is always good for your sustainability goals, regardless of your industry.
Need Advice On Sludge Dewatering Systems?
Interfil is your leading provider of advanced, sustainable, efficient sludge dewatering systems. We provide fully automatic sludge dewatering systems for all types of industries. Offering a continuous operation that doesn’t require harmful chemicals, our systems help you reduce your carbon footprint and considerably lower operating costs. Our expertise is unmatched, meaning we can design and configure systems to suit your needs. Contact us today if you’d like to find out more about our industrial sludge dewatering systems.
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