Solid Waste Handling: The process of taking care of the other major product of the wastewater process. Generally, the two main products are effluent and sludge (solids). Handling can include disposal and recycling.

Vocabulary:

Cogeneration: The generation of both heat and power to be used as fuel.

Dewatering Screw Press: A machine that removes the water from the sludge. The goal is to reduce the water content as much as possible. The dried sludge can then be disposed of cheaper as the weight will be less.

Incinerator: Used in wastewater to incinerate sludge waste. Most are the multiple hearth designed. They produce heat that can be recovered.

Gasification System: System to use the sludge to generate power. Uses combustible components of sludge such as: H2 and CO. It can reduce emission of greenhouse gases.

Nitrogen Oxides (NOX): A generic term for the nitrogen oxides in air pollution. The two most common are nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide.

Digesters

• The sludge collected from the various processes during treatment come to the digester
• Used to stabilize the sludge so it can safely be reused
• Oxygen in pumped into the digester to encourage anaerobic digestion

Land Remediation

• Biosolids can help add nitrogen to soil
• Biosolids contain organic matter which can help physical properties of the soil
• Depending on the nearby industries, the biosolids could be sold
• Land remediation will not be covered in detail as it will not apply to many industrial facilities

Power Generation

• There is potential for capturing energy in the form of water, solar, wind, heat, and solids in wastewater treatment
• New technologies are being studied to make facilities energy neutral
• Industrial sites could benefit from these technologies depending on the byproducts from treatment
• Power generation recommendations can be covered here.